Seasonally chemical hydrology and ecological responses in frontal zone of the central southern Yellow Sea

• Unique chemical hydrology was presented in front of the central southern Yellow Sea.
• The implied upwelling in frontal zone varied seasonally in intensity and position.
• Distribution of chlorophyll a responded to the front seasonally.
• Seasonal variation in anchovy distribution was closely related to the frontal zone.
• Physical–ecological coupling mechanisms associated with the front were explored.

Based on annual-cycle survey data collected in 2006–2007 in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and analyses on the seasonally chemical hydrologic characteristics of the boundary front of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) and Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC), the seasonal variations in upwelling along the frontal zone were determined, and the ecological impacts of the front were investigated. During the generation and dissipation of the YSCWM, the implied upwelling along its western front exhibited seasonal variation. The upwelling first shifted westward from the deep-water region to its westernmost point in summer then returned eastward. The intensity of the upwelling gradually increased from spring to summer and decreased in autumn. In spring, the existence of cold water west of the YSWC was not conducive to the reproduction of phytoplankton. Additionally, the front to the east of this cold water mass also made the western boundary of the phytoplankton bloom region in the central SYS more obvious, forming a prominent chlorophyll a (Chl-a) front. During the entire stratified season (summer and autumn), the upwelling in the frontal zone of the YSCWM played an essential role in maintaining the relatively high concentrations of Chl-a. In winter, the front that formed at the intersection of the YSWC and coastal cold water was also favorable for the formation of the high-Chl-a region. The distribution of anchovy biomass was closely related to the seasonal variations in the position of the frontal zone. In winter and spring, the tongue-shaped warm water and front associated with the intrusion of the YSWC into the SYS had a significant impact on anchovy. During the stratified season in summer and autumn, the development of a front near the boundary of the YSCWM was an important physical driving mechanism for the dense distribution of anchovy. This work enhanced the study of the seasonal relationships between the physical, chemical and biological processes in the frontal zone of the central SYS and deepened our understanding of the ecological significance of this front.