Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Asymmetric chlorophyll responses enhanced by internal waves near the Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea

  • Marine ecological environment and its response to marine dynamic processesin the South China Sea
  • Published:
Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Internal waves (IWs) are small-scale physical processes that occur frequently in stratified marginal seas. IWs are ubiquitous and well documented in the northern South China Sea (nSCS), but few studies have explored the ecosystem responses to the IWs. MODISA chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) data from 2002 to 2014 were used to examine the distribution of Chl a near the Dongsha Atoll (DSA). Composite Chl a from about 40 IWs during spring and summer showed stronger response on the northern side than on the southern side of the DSA. One day after the passage of IWs, composite surface Chl a on the northern side increased from 0.11 mg/m3 to a maximum mean value of 0.18 mg/m3. It decreased to 0.13 mg/m3 after two days and maintained that level for several days after the passage of IWs. The enhanced surface Chl a likely caused subsurface Chl-a maximum and nutrients in the surface layer. Approximately 64% of the increase in surface Chl a was due to the uplift of the subsurface Chl-a maximum one day after the passage of IWs, while nutrient-induced new phytoplankton growth contributed about 18% of the increase a few days later. When the IWs occurred frequently in spring and summer, Chl-a level on the northern side was about 30% higher than that on the southern side. IW dissipation and its impact on nutrients and chlorophyll were stronger on the northern side of the DSA than on the south, which caused a north-south asymmetric distribution of Chl a in the region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability Statement

The 40 IWs in time and location of internal wave events during 2002–2011 are available in table of this study. The daily and monthly MODISA level-3 Chl-a remote sensing data with a spatial resolution of 4 km×4 km from July 2002 to December 2014 is available for webpage (http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/cms/).

References

  • Alford M H, Peacock T, MacKinnon J A et al. 2015. The formation and fate of internal waves in the South China Sea. Nature, 521(7550): 65–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang M H, Lien R C, Tang T Y et al. 2006. Energy flux of nonlinear internal waves in northern South China Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 33(3): L03607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chao Y H, Hsu M K, Chen H W et al. 2008. Sieving nonlinear internal waves through path prediction. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 29: 6391–6402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen G Y, Liu C T, Wang Y H et al. 2011. Interaction and generation of long-crested internal solitary waves in the South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 116: C06013, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen G Y, Wu R J, Wang Y H. 2010. Interaction between internal solitary waves and an isolated atoll in the Northern South China Sea. Ocean Dynamics, 60: 1285–1292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y L L. 2005. Spatial and seasonal variations of nitrate-based new production and primary production in the South China Sea. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 52(2): 319–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y F L, Chen H Y. 2006. Seasonal dynamics of primary and new production in the northern South China Sea: the significance of river discharge and nutrient advection. Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers, 53: 971–986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Da Silva J C B, New A L, Srokosz M A et al. 2002. On the observability of internal tidal waves in remotely-sensed ocean colour data. Geophysical Research Letters, 29(12): 1569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeCarlo T M, Karnauskas K B, Davis K A et al. 2015. Climate modulates internal wave activity in the Northern South China Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 42: 831–838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu K H, Wang Y H, St Laurent L et al. 2012. Shoaling of large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves at Dongsha Atoll in the northern South China Sea. Continental Shelf Research, 37: 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo C, Chen X. 2014. A review of internal solitary wave dynamics in the northern South China Sea. Progress in Oceanography, 121: 7–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo C, Vlasenko V, Alpers W et al. 2012. Evidence of short internal waves trailing strong internal solitary waves in the northern South China Sea from synthetic aperture radar observations. Remote Sensing of Environment, 124: 542–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He L, Yin K D, Yuan X C et al. 2009. Spatial distribution of viruses, bacteria and chlorophyll in the northern South China Sea. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 54(2): 153–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho C R, Su F C, Kuo N J et al. 2009. Internal wave observations in the northern South China Sea from satellite ocean color imagery. In: Oceans 2009-Europe. IEEE, Bremen. p.1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holligan P M, Pingree R D, Mardell G T. 1985. Oceanic solitons, nutrient pulses and phytoplankton growth. Nature, 314(6009): 348–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong D B, Yang C S, Ouchi K. 2015. Estimation of internal wave velocity in the shallow South China Sea using single and multiple satellite images. Remote Sensing Letters, 6: 448–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu M-K, Liu A K. 2000. Nonlinear internal waves in the South China Sea. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 26: 72–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu J Y, Kawamura H, Li C Y et al. 2010. Review on current and seawater volume transport through the Taiwan strait. Journal of Oceanography, 66(5): 591–610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X F, Jackson C R, Pichel W G. 2013. Internal solitary wave refraction at Dongsha Atoll, South China Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(12): 3128–3132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lien R C, D’Asaro E A, Henyey F et al. 2012. Trapped core formation within a shoaling nonlinear internal wave. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 42: 511–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lien R C, Henyey F, Ma B et al. 2014. Large-amplitude internal solitary waves observed in the northern South China Sea: properties and energetics. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 44: 1095–1115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin F L, Hou Y J, Liu Y H et al. 2014. Internal solitary waves on the southwest shelf of Dongsha Island observed from mooring ADCP. Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 32: 1179–1187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Yang H, Ding X et al. 2013. Fusion of SAR and MODIS images for oceanic internal waves tracking in the South China Sea. The 8th Symposium on Multispectral Image Processing and Pattern Recognition (MIPPR) -Remote Sensing Image Processing, Geographic Information Systems, and Other Applications. Wuhan, China.

  • Liu B Q, Yang H, Ding X W et al. 2014. Tracking the internal waves in the South China Sea with environmental satellite sun glint images. Remote Sensing Letters, 5: 609–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGillicuddy D JJr, Brosnahan M L, Couture D A et al. 2014. A red tide of Alexandrium fundyense in the gulf of Maine. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 103: 174–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan X J, Wong G T F, Ho T Y et al. 2013. Remote sensing of picophytoplankton distribution in the northern South China Sea. Remote Sensing of Environment, 128: 162–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan X J, Wong G T F, Shiah F K et al. 2012. Enhancement of biological productivity by internal waves: observations in the summertime in the northern South China Sea. Journal of Oceanography, 68(3): 427–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu T D, Du Y, Gan J P et al. 2007. Mean seasonal cycle of isothermal depth in the South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 112(C2): C02020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw P T, Ko D S, Chao S Y. 2009. Internal solitary waves induced by flow over a ridge: with applications to the northern South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 114(C2): C02019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su F C, Ho C R, Zheng Q et al. 2008. Estimating amplitudes of internal waves using satellite ocean colour imagery of the South China Sea. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 29: 6373–6380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang Q S, Wang C X, Wang D X et al. 2014. Seismic, satellite, and site observations of internal solitary waves in the NE South China Sea. Scientific Reports, 4: 5374, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez A, Flecha S, Bruno M et al. 2009. Internal waves and short-scale distribution patterns of chlorophyll in the strait of Gibraltar and Alborán Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 36(23): L23601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang D X, Hong B, Gan J P et al. 2010. Numerical investigation on propulsion of the counter-wind current in the northern South China Sea in winter. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 57(10): 1206–1221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Huang W G, Yang J S et al. 2011. The distribution, sources, and propagation of internal waves in South China Sea based on satellite remote sensing. In: Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Multispectral Image Processing and Pattern Recognition. SPIE, Guilin. p.80062E.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Huang W G, Yang J S et al. 2013. Study of the propagation direction of the internal waves in the South China Sea using satellite images. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 32(5): 42–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y H, Dai C F, Chen Y Y. 2007. Physical and ecological processes of internal waves on an isolated reef ecosystem in the South China Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(18): L18609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J X, Xie J S, Chen Z W et al. 2012. Enhanced mixing induced by internal solitary waves in the South China Sea. Continental Shelf Research, 49: 34–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Liu B Q, Zhao Z X et al. 2014. Inferring internal wave phase speed from multi-satellite observations. 2014 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (Igarss).

  • Zhao W, Huang X D, Tian J W. 2012. A new method to estimate phase speed and vertical velocity of internal solitary waves in the South China Sea. Journal of Oceanography, 68: 761–769.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Z X, Klemas V, Zheng Q A et al. 2004. Remote sensing evidence for baroclinic tide origin of internal solitary waves in the northeastern South China Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 31(6): L06302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Q A, Susanto R D, Ho C R et al. 2007. Statistical and dynamical analyses of generation mechanisms of solitary internal waves in the northern South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 112(C3): C03021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China

    Meilin Wu, Huijie Xue & Fei Chai

  2. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Meilin Wu

  3. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China

    Meilin Wu

  4. Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Meilin Wu

Authors
  1. Meilin Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huijie Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fei Chai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fei Chai.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31971480, 41730536) and the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (No. GML2019ZD0303)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wu, M., Xue, H. & Chai, F. Asymmetric chlorophyll responses enhanced by internal waves near the Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea. J. Ocean. Limnol. 41, 418–426 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-022-1434-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-022-1434-5

Keyword

Search

Navigation