title: Eddy/wind interactions stimulate extraordinary mid-ocean plankton blooms.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1541, USA. dmcgillicuddy@whoi.edu
authors.forename: Dennis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McGillicuddy
authors.forename: Laurence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bibby
authors.forename: Ken O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Buesseler
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Cabell S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ewart
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Falkowski
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Goldthwait
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hansell
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Valery K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kosnyrev
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ledwell
authors.forename: Qian P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Deborah K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Steinberg
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D002244:Carbon; D010100:Oxygen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A