Remote silicate supply regulates spring phytoplankton bloom magnitude in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract

Spring phytoplankton blooms in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) are sensitive to climate-related local and remote forcing. Nutrient supply through the slope water intrusion has been viewed as critical in regulating the GoM spring blooms, with an assumption that nitrogen is the primary limiting nutrient. In recent years, this paradigm has been challenged, with silicate being recognized as another potential limiting nutrient, but the source of silicate and its associated water mass remain difficult to be determined. In this study, a time series of spring bloom magnitude was constructed using a self-organizing map algorithm, and then correlated with the fluctuation of water composition in the deep Northeast Channel. The results reveal the importance of silicate supply from previously less-recognized deep Scotian Shelf Water inflow. This study offers a new hypothesis for spring bloom regulation, providing a better understanding of mechanisms controlling the spring bloom magnitude in the GoM.