In years when the flow is low in the Apalachicola River, there is not nearly as much phytoplankton available for young fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico, according to Steven Morey of the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS).

The microscopic plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton are a vital part of the oceanic food chain, and while other scientific research about low flow in the Apalachicola has been done, most of it has focused on the estuary system of Apalachicola Bay.

“This [new] work [done by COAPS] shows that variations in the river flow can have implications on marine ecosystems over a much broader geographic region, namely much of the continental shelf extending out several hundred miles,” Morey said. “This now suggests that there might be a link between the river flow variations and offshore fisheries.”

Others involved in the research include Dmitry Dukhovskoy, also of COAPS, and Mark Bourassa, an associate professor of meteorology. The findings have been published in the journal Continental Shelf Research.

To read more, go to http://www.fsu.edu/news/2009/06/19/troubled.waters/