High-level biological resources are supported by much larger amounts of lower-level biomass, considering the food chain/web in the ocean. To clarify the sustainable productivity of the ocean, it is important to know how much biomass could be generated through primary production. Primary production is based on nutrient supply in the euphotic zone in the ocean. Quantitative evaluation of the transport of nutrients into the euphotic zone in a certain marginal sea, we say nutrient footprint here, provides useful information on the variation of upper-level biological resources. To know where the nutrients for the primary production come from is one of the most important issues to evaluate the biological production change caused by global warming in the marginal seas. In addition, oceanographic physical conditions, such as stratification, vertical mixing and horizonal transport, are quite important to control the behavior of nutrients. In this session, we will exchange the physical, chemical and biological information to understand primary production in the coastal and marginal seas with the key-word nutrient footprint.
A significant part of the nutrient load from land to coastal areas would come from river discharge. However, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is now noted as an important nutrient source in coastal regions, because the concentration of nutrients could be much higher than in river water, but with much less discharge. It is important to share knowledge and information procedures to detect SGD, and the related analysis in the international community, including the impact of SGD to the coastal environment, and how this issue is being addressed.
In this session, we expect to hear about various approaches concerning the behavior of nutrients, such as field studies, satellite remote sensing, numerical experiments with physical, chemical, and biological sensing along with interaction with the social sciences in East and Southeast Asia.