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.

中文翻译：

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远程硅酸盐供应调节缅因湾春季浮游植物大量繁殖

缅因湾 (GoM) 的春季浮游植物水华对与气候相关的本地和远程强迫很敏感。通过斜坡水侵入的养分供应被认为是调节 GoM 春季水华的关键，假设氮是主要的限制养分。近年来，这种范式受到了挑战，硅酸盐被认为是另一种潜在的限制性营养物质，但硅酸盐的来源及其相关水体仍然难以确定。在这项研究中，使用自组织地图算法构建了春季水华强度的时间序列，然后与东北水道深部水成分的波动相关联。结果揭示了以前不太为人所知的深部苏格兰陆架水流入的硅酸盐供应的重要性。