WAMSI PhD Top-up - 3.9.4 - Quantifying impacts of the Leeuwin current on the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Ningaloo Reef

Four objectives addressed by the research conducted as part of this thesis were:

1. To characterise the seasonal variability of nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations off the north west coast of Australia.

2. To identify the processes driving the seasonal variability in nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations off the north west coast of Australia.

3. To investigate the differences in phytoplankton community, primary production and nutrient uptake between a period of high- and low-flow of the Leeuwin Current in the waters off Ningaloo Reef.

4. To estimate losses of primary production due to microzooplankton grazing in the waters off the west coast of Australia.

The goal of this research is to understand the processes offshore of Ningaloo Reef that support the production of particulate organic matter that may be available to sustain the reef. This understanding provides the basis to predict the health of the reef under climatic stresses such as El Niño and La Niña events.

本学位论文相关研究共达成四项研究目标：
1. 表征澳大利亚西北近海海域营养盐（nutrient）与叶绿素a（chlorophyll a）浓度的季节变化特征。
2. 识别并解析驱动澳大利亚西北近海海域营养盐与叶绿素a浓度季节变化的动力过程。
3. 探究宁格罗礁（Ningaloo Reef）邻近海域中，勒文海流（Leeuwin Current）高低流量时期浮游植物群落、初级生产力及营养盐摄取过程的差异。
4. 估算澳大利亚西海岸邻近海域中，微型浮游动物（microzooplankton）摄食作用导致的初级生产力损失量。

本研究的核心目标为解析宁格罗礁邻近海域的近海过程，此类过程可支撑颗粒有机物（particulate organic matter）的生成，而该类有机物可维系珊瑚礁的存续。该研究认知可为预测厄尔尼诺（El Niño）、拉尼娜（La Niña）等气候胁迫情境下珊瑚礁的健康状态提供理论基础。