M1.9 Upwelling zones

M1. Marine shelf biome

M1

Profile summary

Full profile at https://global-ecosystems.org/explore/groups/M1.9

Brief description

These productive regions are often associated with eastern-boundary current systems on the transition between marine shelves and the open ocean, forming where divergence of surface water causes upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water. Bursts of primary productivity are associated with naturally variable, often wind-driven upwelling events and support a very high biomass of plankton, fish, and marine birds and mammals. Small species like sardine and anchovy that operate at low trophic levels dominate fish communities, may vary greatly in abundance through time, and play important roles in food webs.

Key features

Cool, wind-driven systems with high productivity and variability, supporting abundant plankton, fish, mammals and seabirds.

Overview of distribution

Coastal eastern-boundary current systems and some localised areas in open oceans.

Map description

Marine ecoregions (Spalding et al. 2008) with major and minor occurrences of Upwelling zones were identified by consulting global and regional reviews (cited in descriptive profile), maps of relevant ecosystems and expertise of authors, proofed by specialist reviewers. The identified ecoregions were then clipped to the extent of the marine ‘shelf’ base layer as mapped by Harris et al. (2014b). Occurrences were converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution..

Map code and version: M1.9.web.orig v1.0. DOI

Version history

Profile versions

  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): KE Watermeyer; EJ Gregr; RR Rykaczewski; LJ Shannon; IM Suthers; DA Keith.1
  • v2.01 (NA): NA.
  • v2.0 (2020-06-15): KE Watermeyer; EJ Gregr; RR Rykaczewski; LJ Shannon; IM Suthers; DA Keith.
  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): KE Watermeyer; EJ Gregr; IM Suthers; DA Keith.

Available maps

Read more details about the current map versions here.

  • Web navigation (code: M1.9.web.orig, version v1.0)
  • Indicative Map (code: M1.9.IM.orig, version v1.0)

Read more details about older or alternative versions of maps for this functional group.

  • Web navigation: in preparation (code: M1.9.WM.nwx, version v1.0)

References

Main references

References used in the different versions of the profiles.

  • Cury P, Shannon L, Shin YJ (2003) The functioning of marine ecosystems: a fisheries perspective Responsible fisheries in the marine ecosystem (Eds. M Sinclair, G Valdimarsson), p103–123. FAO, Rome, & CABI Publishing, Wallingford
  • Hutchings L, Pitcher GC, Probyn TA, Bailey GW (1995) The chemical and biological consequences of coastal upwelling Upwelling in the oceans: Modern Processes and Ancient Records (Eds. CP Summerhayes, KC Emeis, MV Angel, RL Smith, B Zeitzschel), pp. 65–81. John Wiley, New York

Map references

References used in the different versions of the maps (current and discarded).

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011
  • Sayre, R.G., D.J. Wright, S.P. Breyer, K.A. Butler, K. Van Graafeiland, M.J. Costello, P.T. Harris, K.L. Goodin, J.M. Guinotte, Z. Basher, M.T. Kavanaugh, P.N. Halpin, M.E. Monaco, N. Cressie, P. Aniello, C.E. Frye, and D. Stephens (2017) A three-​dimensional mapping of the ocean based on environmental data Oceanography 30(1):90–103 DOI:10.5670/oceanog.2017.116
  • Spalding MD, Fox HE, Allen GR, Davidson N, Ferdaña ZA, Finlayson M, Halpern BS, Jorge MA, Lombana A, Lourie SA, Martin KD, McManus E, Molnar J, Recchia CA, Robertson J (2007) Marine ecoregions of the world: a bioregionalization of coastal and shelf areas. Bioscience 57: 573–583. DOI:10.1641/B570707

Footnotes

  1. This is the current version available at official site.↩︎