Spatio-temporal behaviour of the deep chlorophyll maximum in Mediterranean Sea: Development of a stochastic model for picophytoplankton dynamics

In this paper, by using a stochastic reaction-diffusion-taxis model, we analyze the picophytoplankton dynamics in the basin of the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by poorly mixed waters. The model includes intraspecific competition of picophytoplankton for light and nutrients. The multiplicative noise sources present in the model account for random fluctuations of environmental variables. Phytoplankton distributions obtained from the model show a good agreement with experimental data sampled in two different sites of the Sicily Channel. The results could be extended to analyze data collected in different sites of the Mediterranean Sea and to devise predictive models for phytoplankton dynamics in oligotrophic waters.

► Use of a stochastic reaction-diffusion-taxis model for picophytoplankton dynamics. ► Analysis of the distributions of picophytoplankton concentration along water columns. ► Good agreement of equilibrium profiles of chlorophyll a concentration with real data. ► Depth and magnitude of the deep chlorophyll maxima fitting very well real findings. ► Analysis contributing to devise predictive models for picophytoplankton dynamics.