Advances in Geosciences www.adv-geosci.net 1680-7340 1680-7359 26 11th EGU Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms (2009) 2010 10.5194/adgeo-26-33-2010 http://www.adv-geosci.net/26/33/2010/ http://www.adv-geosci.net/26/33/2010/adgeo-26-33-2010.html http://www.adv-geosci.net/26/33/2010/adgeo-26-33-2010.pdf 33 38 2010-06-30 On some relationships between storms and plankton dynamics F. Peters cesc@icm.csic.es Institut de Ciències del Mar, CMIMA (CSIC), Pg. marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain The physico-chemical fields of the pelagic environment are constantly fluctuating at different spatial and temporal scales. Storms are extreme events of such fluctuations that cascade down to small scales to alter nutrient availability to microscopic algae or swimming and mating behaviour of motile plankton. Mediterranean storms sometimes are also responsible for the transport of micro and macronutrients from Saharan origin, albeit the significance for marine production is still under question. In coastal ecosystems, storms represent dissolved nutrient injections via run-off and resuspension that trigger planktonic succession events. Storms may also have a role in the development and mitigation of harmful algal blooms, events with economic and health consequences that are of growing societal concern. Based on laboratory experiments on the effects of turbulence on swimming behaviour and population growth of dinoflagellates, a conceptual sequence of events is proposed for bloom initiation. <br><br> Overall, storms affect, directly or indirectly, the dynamics of plankton and hence ecosystem production and cannot be considered catastrophic or hazardous in this context. 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