Eddy/wind interactions stimulate extraordinary mid-ocean plankton blooms.
Episodic eddy-driven upwelling may supply a significant fraction of the nutrients required to sustain primary productivity of the subtropical ocean. New observations in the northwest Atlantic reveal that, although plankton blooms occur in both cyclones and mode-water eddies, the biological responses differ. Mode-water eddies can generate extraordinary diatom biomass and primary production at depth, relative to the time series near Bermuda. These blooms are sustained by eddy/wind interactions, which amplify the eddy-induced upwelling. In contrast, eddy/wind interactions dampen eddy-induced upwelling in cyclones. Carbon export inferred from oxygen anomalies in eddy cores is one to three times as much as annual new production for the region.
McGillicuddy
Dennis J
DJ
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1541, USA. dmcgillicuddy@whoi.edu
Anderson
Laurence A
LA
Bates
Nicholas R
NR
Bibby
Thomas
T
Buesseler
Ken O
KO
Carlson
Craig A
CA
Davis
Cabell S
CS
Ewart
Courtney
C
Falkowski
Paul G
PG
Goldthwait
Sarah A
SA
Hansell
Dennis A
DA
Jenkins
William J
WJ
Johnson
Rodney
R
Kosnyrev
Valery K
VK
Ledwell
James R
JR
Li
Qian P
QP
Siegel
David A
DA
Steinberg
Deborah K
DK
D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D017377:Diatoms / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010933:Plankton / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014872:Water Movements; D014919:Wind; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
D002734:Chlorophyll; D002244:Carbon; D010100:Oxygen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A