Quantifying the Role of Atmospheric Pollutant Deposition in Nutrient Flux of the Yellow Sea

The impact of persistent anthropogenic activities on ecosystems remains a critical focus in the context of sustainability. Pollutants deposited into the ocean, alongside nutrients introduced via river discharge, are recognized as major sources influencing marine primary productivity. In particular, atmospheric pollutant emissions in East Asia have been continuously rising, and the resulting deposition of these pollutants into the ocean is estimated to be substantial. Despite their significance, quantitative assessments of the ecological and biogeochemical impacts remain largely unexplored. The excessive nitrogen deposition has the potential to accelerate eutrophication processes, leading to harmful algal blooms and subsequent oxygen depletion in the Yellow Sea. These phenomena are likely to significantly disrupt local biodiversity and marine food webs, posing challenges to sustainable ecosystem management. Furthermore, the reduction in atmospheric pollutants during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 has triggered discussions regarding its effects on the productivity of the Yellow Sea, reflecting the complex interactions between atmospheric deposition and marine ecosystems. Therefore, this study quantitatively evaluates the nitrogen flux introduced through atmospheric deposition and its influence on the marine ecosystem of the Yellow Sea using a numerical approach based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Atmospheric pollutant data reproduced through deep learning served as input, enabling experiments ranging from one-dimensional vertical models to full-scale simulations of the entire Yellow Sea. The study was conducted using the NPZD (Nutrient-Phytoplankton-Zooplankton-Detritus) model framework.