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In the paper the statistical relationships between the size and production characteristics of phytoplankton and zooplankton of the Vistula and Curonian lagoons, the Baltic Sea, were investigated. Research phytoplankton and zooplankton within the Russian part of the area of the Vistula and the Curonian lagoon was carried out on the monthly basis (from April to November) within the framework of long-term monitoring program on evaluating of ecological status of the lagoons. The size structure of plankton is the basis for understanding of the development of production processes, mechanisms of formation of the plankton species diversity and functioning of the lagoon ecosystems. As results of the work it was found that the maximum rate of photosynthesis and the integral value of the primary production with a change in cell volume of phytoplankton are changed according to a power law. The result shows that the smaller the size of algal cells in phytoplankton communities the more actively occur metabolism and the more effective they assimilate the solar energy. It is shown that the formation of plankton species diversity in ecosystems of lagoons is closely linked with the size structure of plankton communities and with features of development of the production processes. It is proposed the structure of a spatially homogenous mathematical model of the plankton food chain for the lagoon ecosystems taking into account the size spectrum and the characteristics of phytoplankton and zooplankton. The model parameters are the sizedependent indicators allometrically linked with average volumes of cells and organisms in different ranges of their sizes. In the model the algorithm for changes over time the coefficients of food preferences in the diet of zooplankton was proposed. Developed the size-dependent mathematical model of aquatic ecosystems allows to consider the impact of turbulent exchange on the size structure and temporal dynamics of the plankton food chain of the Vistula and Curonian lagoons. The model can be used to study the different regimes of dynamic behavior of plankton systems depending on the changes in the values of its parameters and external influences, as well as to quantify the redistribution of matter flows in ecosystems of the lagoons.

A model of the phytoplankton abundance dynamics depending on changes in the content of chlorophyll in phytoplankton under the influence of changing environmental conditions is proposed. The model takes into account the dependence of biomass growth on environmental conditions, as well as on photosynthetic chlorophyll activity. The light and dark stages of photosynthesis have been identified. The processes of chlorophyll consumption during photosynthesis in the light and the growth of chlorophyll mass together with phytoplankton biomass are described. The model takes into account environmental conditions such as mineral nutrients, illumination and water temperature. The model is spatially distributed, the spatial variable corresponds to mass fraction of chlorophyll in phytoplankton. Thereby possible spreads of the chlorophyll contents in phytoplankton are taken into consideration. The model calculates the density distribution of phytoplankton by the proportion of chlorophyll in it. In addition, the rate of production of new phytoplankton biomass is calculated. In parallel, point analogs of the distributed model are considered. The diurnal and seasonal (during the year) dynamics of phytoplankton distribution by chlorophyll fraction are demonstrated. The characteristics of the rate of primary production in daily or seasonally changing environmental conditions are indicated. Model characteristics of the dynamics of phytoplankton biomass growth show that in the light this growth is about twice as large as in the dark. It shows, that illumination significantly affects the rate of production. Seasonal dynamics demonstrates an accelerated growth of biomass in spring and autumn. The spring maximum is associated with warming under the conditions of biogenic substances accumulated in winter, and the autumn, slightly smaller maximum, with the accumulation of nutrients during the summer decline in phytoplankton biomass. And the biomass in summer decreases, again due to a deficiency of nutrients. Thus, in the presence of light, mineral nutrition plays the main role in phytoplankton dynamics.

In general, the model demonstrates the dynamics of phytoplankton biomass, qualitatively similar to classical concepts, under daily and seasonal changes in the environment. The model seems to be suitable for assessing the bioproductivity of aquatic ecosystems. It can be supplemented with equations and terms of equations for a more detailed description of complex processes of photosynthesis. The introduction of variables in the physical habitat space and the conjunction of the model with satellite information on the surface of the reservoir leads to model estimates of the bioproductivity of vast marine areas. Introduction of physical space variables habitat and the interface of the model with satellite information about the surface of the basin leads to model estimates of the bioproductivity of vast marine areas.