Ecological–physical modelling for warm core ring 93A of Kuroshio extension focused on a blooming event inside WCR

An ecological–physical coupled model was applied to simulate warm core ring (WCR) 93A off the Sanriku area of Japan for ADEOS campaign period, April–June 1997. Southeastward movement of WCR as observed by satellite imaging was reproduced. The increase in phytoplankton concentration with time and its subsequent decay inside the WCR, accompanied by Kuroshio water intrusion, were also well simulated by the model. These processes can be explained by the horizontal advection of surrounding high chlorophyll water into the WCR grazing of phytoplankton by zooplankton.