Carbon-Plankton Dynamics

The NPZD (Nutrient-Phytoplankton-Zooplankton-Detritus) Virtual Lab was developed in the pilot Blue-Cloud project based on near real-time data of phyto- & zoo-plankton abundances and environmental parameters and tested and validated for the southern part of the North Sea. The current version of the model does accurately predict phyto- & zoo-plankton biomass based on the abiotic conditions provided.

Phytoplankton (as Chl-a) in the NPZD model runs in nitrogen units. However, this model does not integrate any different data than the ones used to predict NPZD biomass.

In Blue-Cloud 2026, the model will be converted to run in carbon units, allowing to integrate carbon information to better understand the interactions between nutrients availability, primary /secondary productivity, organic matter degradation and exchanges with atmosphere and rivers. The model will be applied with data from other marine regions outside the original study area MIRAMARE in the Northern Adriatic Sea.

Learn more about this Virtual Lab in our dedicated Training Academy webinar.