Abstract
The spatial and seasonal variability of primary production in the Japan Sea from 1998 to 2002 was estimated using a satellite primary production model. A size-fractionated primary production model was validated by in situ primary production data measured in the Japan Sea. Estimated primary production and in situ primary production showed a good positive correlation. Estimated primary production showed spatial variability. Annual primary production levels were 170, 161, 191 and 222 gC m−2year−1 at the Russian coast, in the middle of the Japan Basin, the southeastern area and the southwestern area, respectively. It was higher to the south around 40°N than to the north, and higher in the western area than in the eastern one. Peaks of primary production appeared twice, in spring and fall, in the southern area, while a single peak appeared in the northern area. Primary production along the Russian coast was higher than in other areas during summer. The spring bloom contributed 42% to the annual primary production in these four areas. Furthermore, estimated primary production showed an interannual variability that was largest in spring. Primary production in fall also showed interannual variability, especially in the middle of the Japan Basin and the southwestern area. This corresponded mainly to the size of the phytoplankton bloom in each year. Winter convection by wind and the depth of nutrient-rich, cold subsurface water underlying the Tsushima Current may contribute to the nutrient supply to upper layer and interannual variations of primary production in spring.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Behrenfeld, M. J. and P. G. Falkowski (1997): Photosynthetic rates derived from satellite-based chlorophyll concentration. Limnol. Oceanogr., 42, 1–20.
Chiba, S. and T. Saino (2003): Variation in mesozooplankton community structure in the Japan/East Sea (1991–1999) with possible influence of the ENSO scale climate variability. Prog. Oceanogr., 57, 317–339.
Chung, C. S., J. H. Shim, Y. C. Park and S. G. Park (1989): Primary productivity and nitrogenous nutrient dynamics in the East Sea of Korea. J. Oceanol. Soc. Korea, 24(1), 52–61 (in Korean).
Cushing, D. H. (1959): The seasonal variation in oceanic production as a problem in population dynamics. J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer., 24, 455–464.
Fukataki, H. (1974): Fisheries Development of Seas around Japan: The Tushima Current—Oceanographycal Structure and Fisheries. Fisheries series 5, Kouseisha Kouseikaku, Tokyo, p. 115–128.
Heinrich, A. K. (1962): The life histories of phytoplankton animals and seasonal cycles of plankton communities in the Oceans. J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer, 27, 15–24.
Ichiye, T. (1984): Some problems of circulation and hydrography of the Japan Sea and the Tsushima Current. p. 15–54. In Ocean Hydrodynamics of the Japan and East China Seas, Elsevier Oceanography Series 39, ed. by T. Ichiye, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam.
Ishizaka, J. (1998): Spatial distribution of primary production off Sanriku, northwestern Pacific, during spring estimated by Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS). J. Oceanogr., 54, 553–564.
Ishizaka, J., I. Asanuma, N. Ebuchi, H. Fukushima, H. Kawamura, K. Kawasaki, M. Kishino, M. Kubota, H. Masuko, S. Matsumura, S. Saitoh, Y. Senga, M. Shimanuki, N. Tomii and M. Utashima (1997): Time series of physical and optical parameters off Shimane, Japan, during fall of 1993: First observation by Moored Optical Buoy System for ADEOS data verification. J. Oceanogr., 53, 245–258.
Isobe, A., M. Ando, T. Watanabe, T. Senjyu, S. Sugihara and A. Manda (2002): Fresh water and temperature transports through the Tsushima-Korea Straits. J. Geophys. Res., 107(C7), 3065, 2,1–2,19.
Isoda, Y., S. Saitoh and M. Mihara (1992): Seasonal variations of SST patterns in the Japan Sea. Umi to Sora, 68, 15–26 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Kadono, K. (1999): Transformation of the Tsushima Current. Umi to Sora, 74, 192–198 (in Japanese).
Kameda, T. (2003): Studies on oceanic primary production using ocean color remote sensing data. Bull. Fish. Res. Agen., 9, 118–148.
Kameda, T. and J. Ishizaka (2005): Size-fractionated primary production estimated by the two-phytoplankton community model applicable for ocean color remote sensing. J. Oceanogr., 61, 663–672.
Kano, Y., N. Baba and S. Ebara (1984): Chlorophyll a and primary production in the Japan Sea. Oceanogr. Mag., 34(1–2), 31–39.
Kim, S. W. and Y. Isoda (1998): Interannual variations of the surface mixed layer in the Tsushima Current region. Umi to Sora, 74, 11–22 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Kim, S. W., S. Saitoh, J. Ishizaka, Y. Isoda and M. Kishino (2000): Temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton pigment concentration in the Japan Sea derived from CZCS images. J. Oceanogr., 56, 527–538.
Kirk, J. T. O. (1983): Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, New York, 509 pp.
Koblentz-Mishke, O. I. (1965): Primary production in the Pacific. Okeanologiya, 5, 325–337 (in Russian).
Koblentz-Mishke, O. I., V. V. Volkovinsky and J. A. Kavanova (1970): Primary production of the world ocean. p. 66–83. In Program and Method in the Studies of Biogeocoenoses of Aquatic Environments, ed. by L. Zenkevitch, Nauka, Moscow (in Russian).
Levitus, S. (1982): Climatological atlas of the world ocean. NOAA Professional Papers, Vol. 13. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rockville, MD, 173 pp.
Limsakul, A., T. Saino, T. Midorikawa and J. I. Goes (2001): Temporal variations in lower trophic level biological environments in the northwestern North Pacific Subtropical Gyre from 1950 to 1997. Prog. Oceanogr., 49, 129–149.
Morel, A. and J. F. Berthon (1989): Surface pigments, algal biomass profiles, and potential production of the euphotic layer: Relationships reinvestigated in view of remote-sensing applications. Limnol. Oceanogr., 34, 1545–1562.
Nagata, H. (1992): A short review on phytoplankton distribution and primary production in the Japan Sea. Proc. Japan Sci. Coun. Fish. Resour., 28, 29–44 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Nagata, H. (1994): The relationship between chlorophyll a and transparency in the southern Japan Sea. Bull. Japan Sea Natl. Fish. Res. Inst., 44, 39–47 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Nagata, H. (1998): Seasonal changes and vertical distributions of chlorophyll a and primary productivity at the Yamato Rise, central Japan Sea. Plankton Biol. Ecol., 45, 159–170.
Nagata, H. and Y. Ogawa (1997): Seasonal variability of transparency and its relationship to the critical depth in the seas adjacent to Japan. Umi no Kenkyu, 6, 351–360 (in Japanese with English abstract).
Nishimura, S. (1983): Okhotsk Sea, Japan Sea, East China Sea, p. 375–401. In Estuaries and Enclosed Seas, ed. by B. H. Ketchum, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam.
Onitsuka, G. (2004): An ecosystem modeling in the Japan Sea. Doctoral Thesis, Graduate School, Kyushu University.
Park, J. S., C. K. Kang and K. H. An (1991): Community structure and spatial distribution of phytoplankton in the Polar Front Region off the East Coast of Korea in summer. Bull. Korean Fish. Soc., 24(4), 237–247.
Platt, T. and S. Sathyendranath (1988): Oceanic primary production: estimation by remote sensing at local and regional scales. Science, 241, 1613–1620.
Sanger, G. A. (1972): Fishery potentials and estimated biological productivity of the Subarctic Pacific region. p. 561–574. In Biological Oceanography of the Northern North Pacific Ocean, ed. by A. Y. Takenouti et al., Idemitsu Shoten, Tokyo.
Shim, J. H. and Y. C. Park (1986): Primary productivity measurement using carbon-14 and nitrogenous nutrient dynamics in the southeastern sea of Korea. J. Oceanol. Soc. Korea, 21, 13–24.
Shim, J. H., W. H. Lee and S. Y. Bak (1985): Studies on the plankton in the Southwestern Waters of the East Sea (Sea of Japan) (II). J. Oceanol. Soc. Korea, 20(3), 37–54.
Shim, J. H., H. G. Yeo and J. G. Park (1992): Primary production system in the Southern Waters of the East Sea, Korea. J. Oceanol. Soc. Korea, 27(2), 91–100.
Shuto, K. (1981): A review of sea conditions in the Japan Sea. Umi to Sora, 57, 157–186 (in Japanese).
Sorokin, Y. I. (1977): The heterotrophic phase of plankton succession in the Japan Sea. Mar. Biol., 41, 107–117.
Taniguchi, A. (1972): Geographycal variation of primary production in the western Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas with reference to the interrelations between various parameters of primary production. Mem. Fac. Fish., Hokkaido Univ., 19, 1–33.
Taniguchi, A. (1973): Photosynthetic activity of the marine phytoplankton communities. Mar. Sci. Mon., Tokyo, 5(2), 19–25 (in Japanese).
Yamada, K., J. Ishizaka, S. Yoo, H. Kim and S. Chiba (2004): Seasonal and interannual variability of sea surface chlorophyll a concentration in the Japan/East Sea (JES). Prog. Oceanogr., 61, 193–211.
Yoon, J. H. (1982): Numerical experiment on the circulation in the Japan Sea. Part I. Formation of the East Korean Warm Current. J. Oceanogr. Soc. Japan, 38, 43–51.
Yoshie, N., K. H. Shin and S. Noriki (1999): Seasonal variations of primary productivity and assimilation numbers in the western North Pacific. Special reports on the regional studies of North-East Eurasia and North Pacific in Hokkaido University, 49–62.
Zenkevitch, L. (1963): Biology of the Seas of the U.S.S.R. Interscience, New York., 955 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yamada, K., Ishizaka, J. & Nagata, H. Spatial and Temporal Variability of Satellite Primary Production in the Japan Sea from 1998 to 2002. J Oceanogr 61, 857–869 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-006-0005-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-006-0005-2