Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Influence of mesoscale eddies on new production in the Sargasso Sea

Nature volume 394, pages 263–266 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

It is problematic that geochemical estimates of new production — that fraction of total primary production in surface waters fuelled by externally supplied nutrients — in oligotrophic waters of the open ocean surpass that which can be sustained by the traditionally accepted mechanisms of nutrient supply.1,2 In the case of the Sargasso Sea, for example, these mechanisms account for less than half of the annual nutrient requirement indicated by new production estimates based on three independent transient-tracer techniques2,3,4,5,6. Specifically, approximately one-quarter to one-third of the annual nutrient requirement can be supplied by entrainment into the mixed layer during wintertime convection7, with minor contributions from mixing in the thermocline8,9 and wind-driven transport10 (the potentially important role of nitrogen fixation11 — for which estimates vary by an order of magnitude in this region12 — is excluded from this budget). Here we present four lines of evidence — eddy-resolving model simulations, high-resolution observations from moored instrumentation, shipboard surveys and satellite data — which suggest that the vertical flux of nutrients induced by the dynamics of mesoscale eddies is sufficient to balance the nutrient budget in the Sargasso Sea.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: A schematic representation of the eddy upwelling mechanism.
Figure 2: Results from Bermuda Testbed Mooring deployment 3 during the summer of 1995.
Figure 3: Results from a mesoscale biogeochemical survey near the BATS site occupied from 24 to 28 June 1996.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schulenberger, E. & Reid, J. L. The Pacific shallow oxygen maximum, deep chlorophyll maximum, and primary productivity, reconsidered. Deep-Sea Res. A 28, 901–919 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jenkins, W. J. & Goldman, J. C. Seasonal oxygen cycling and primary production in the Sargasso Sea. J.Mar. Res. 43, 465–491 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Spitzer, W. S. & Jenkins, W. J. Rates of vertical mixing, gas exchange and new production: estimates from seasonal gas cycles in the upper ocean near Bermuda. J. Mar. Res. 47, 169–196 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sarmiento, J. L., Thiele, G., Key, R. M. & Moore, W. S. Oxygen and nitrate new production and remineralization in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. J. Geophys. Res. 95, 18303–18315 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jenkins, W. J. & Wallace, D. W. R. in Primary Productivity and Biogeochemical Cycles in the Sea(eds Falkowski, P. G. & Woodhead, A. D.) 299–316 (Plenum, New York, (1992)).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Jenkins, W. J. Nitrate flux into the euphotic zone near Bermuda. Nature 331, 521–523 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Michaels, A. F. et al. Seasonal patterns of ocean biogeochemistry at the U.S. JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site. Deep-Sea Res. I 41, 1013–1038 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lewis, M. R., Harrison, W. G., Oakely, N. S., Hebert, D. & Platt, T. Vertical nitrate fluxes in the oligotrophic ocean. Science 234, 870–873 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ledwell, J. R., Watson, A. J. & Law, C. S. Evidence for slow mixing across the pycnocline from an open-ocean tracer-release experiment. Nature 364, 701–703 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Williams, R. G. & Follows, M. J. The Ekman transfer of nutrients and maintenance of new production over the North Atlantic. Deep-Sea Res. I 45, 461–489 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Karl, D. et al. The role of nitrogen fixation in biogeochemical cycling in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean. Nature 388, 533–538 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Michaels, A. F. et al. Inputs, losses and transformations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the pelagic North Atlantic Ocean. Biogeochemistry 35, 181–226 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Woods, J. D. in Toward a Theory on Biological-Physical Interactions in the World Ocean(ed. Rothschild, B. J.) (Reidel, Dordrecht, (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Falkowski, P. G., Ziemann, D., Kolber, Z. & Bienfang, P. K. Role of eddy pumping in enhancing primary production in the ocean. Nature 353, 55–58 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jenkins, W. J. The use of anthropogenic tritium and helium-3 to study subtropical gyre ventilation and circulation. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 325, 43–61 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Franks, P. J. S., Wroblewski, J. S. & Flierl, G. R. Prediction of phytoplankton growth in response to the frictional decay of a warm-core ring. J. Geophys. Res. 91, 7603–7610 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Strass, V. H. Chlorophyll patchiness caused by mesoscale upwelling at fronts. Deep-Sea Res. 39, 75–96 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. McGillicuddy, D. J., Robinson, A. R. & McCarthy, J. J. Coupled physical and biological modeling of the spring bloom in the North Atlantic: (ii) three dimensional bloom and post-bloom effects. Deep-Sea Res. I 42, 1359–1398 (1995)).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Robinson, A. R. et al. Mesoscale and upper ocean variabilities during the 1989 JGOFS bloom study. Deep-Sea Res. II 40, 9–35 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. McGillicuddy, D. J. & Robinson, A. R. Eddy induced nutrient supply and new production in the Sargasso Sea. Deep-Sea Res. I 44, 1427–1449 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Robinson, A. R. On the theory of advective effects on biological dynamics in the sea. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 453, 1–30 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Goldman, J. C. Potential role of large oceanic diatoms in new primary production. Deep-Sea Res. I 40, 159–168 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Dickey, T. et al. Initial results from the Bermuda Testbed Mooring program. Deep-Sea Res. I 45, 771–794 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Jannasch, H. W., Johnson, K. S. & Sakamoto, C. M. Submersible osmotically pumped analyzers for continuous determination of nitrate in situ. Anal. Chem. 66, 3352–3361 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Richman, J. G., Wunsch, C. & Hogg, N. G. Space and time scales of mesoscale motion in the Western North Atlantic. Rev. Geophys. 15, 385–420 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Michaels, A. F., Bates, N. R., Buesseler, K. O., Carlson, C. A. & Knap, A. H. Carbon cycle imbalances in the Sargasso Sea. Nature 372, 537–540 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Jenkins, W. J. Studying subtropical thermocline ventilation and circulation using tritium and 3He. J.Geophys. Res.(submitted).

  28. Lipschultz, F. & Owens, N. J. P. An assessment of nitrogen fixation as a source of nitrogen for the North Atlantic Ocean. Biogeochemistry 35, 261–274 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank W. Jenkins, J. Goldman, S. Emerson, P. Cornillon and J. Yoder for discussions; E. Fields for his contribution to the processing and analysis of the various data sets; and the BATS technicians for their assistance. This work was supported by JPL, NASA, the US NSF, NOAA and ONR.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, 02543, Massachusetts, USA

    D. J. McGillicuddy Jr

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    A. R. Robinson

  3. Institute for Computational Earth System Science and Department of Geography, Santa Barbara, 93106, California, USA

    D. A. Siegel

  4. Ocean Physics Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106, California, USA

    T. D. Dickey & J. McNeil

  5. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insitute, Moss Landing, 95039, California, USA

    H. W. Jannasch

  6. Bermuda Biological Station for Research, Ferry Reach, GE01, Bermuda

    R. Johnson & A. H. Knap

  7. Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, Avalon, 90704, California, USA

    A. F. Michaels

Authors
  1. D. J. McGillicuddy Jr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. R. Robinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. A. Siegel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. W. Jannasch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R. Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T. D. Dickey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. J. McNeil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. A. F. Michaels
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. A. H. Knap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. J. McGillicuddy Jr.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McGillicuddy, D., Robinson, A., Siegel, D. et al. Influence of mesoscale eddies on new production in the Sargasso Sea. Nature 394, 263–266 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/28367

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/28367

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing