TN412 SCOPE-Gradients-5 CTD data

The SCOPE-Gradients program was designed to test conceptual and mathematical models of biogeochemical organization across the transition zone between different ecosystems. The studies were grounded by three hypotheses derived from ecological theory and manifested by the Darwin ecosystem model output.  1) Optimal supply ratios of fixed nitrogen and iron result in enhanced productivity across the transition zone.  2) The size distribution of organisms (PSD) across the transition zone are predictable under steady state conditions.  3) Trends in elemental and macro-molecular composition of primary producers will vary predictably across the transition zone. We employed a suite of interdisciplinary sampling strategies on process cruises transecting across the North Pacific subtropical gyre, the transition zone and into the subpolar gyres in order to determine whether the theory underlying our models and driving hypotheses are sufficiently robust to predict in situ observations.