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Links between physical and biological mesoscale oceanic processes

Co-conveners: V. Lobanov (POI, Russia), J. Ishizaka (U. Nagasaki, Japan)
and F. Qiao (FIO, China)

Satellite observations have proved that mesoscale water dynamics is dominated by spatially organized or coherent structures such as rings of
ocean boundary currents, mesoscale eddies, filaments and jets of upwelling areas etc. At the same time in many cases these structures are areas of
high biological productivity, concentration of marine organisms and often are considered as hot spots for oceanic biota. What are the mechanisms of
this correlation between physical and biological processes, how these links on mesoscale are essential for large scale processes and what
satellite observations could offer to answer these questions? The session would discuss the latest advances in understanding of mesoscale water
dynamics and mesoscale structures in biological fields obtained on the base of satellite observations including sea surface temperature, ocean
color, sea ice, altimetry and radar data as well as results of in situ observations, ocean and ecosystem models and synthesis of these data.
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