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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection

Published on: September 5, 2018

Eddy/wind interactions stimulate extraordinary mid-ocean plankton blooms.

Dennis J McGillicuddy¹, Laurence A Anderson, Nicholas R Bates

¹Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1541, USA. dmcgillicuddy@whoi.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 19, 2007

Summary

Eddy-driven upwelling fuels ocean primary productivity. Mode-water eddies in the Atlantic generate significant diatom blooms and carbon export, unlike cyclones, due to amplified upwelling from eddy/wind interactions.

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Area of Science:

Oceanography
Marine Biology
Biogeochemistry

Background:

Episodic eddy-driven upwelling is a key nutrient source for subtropical ocean primary productivity.
Understanding the distinct biological responses within different oceanic eddies is crucial for marine ecosystem studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the differing biological responses to episodic upwelling within cyclones and mode-water eddies in the northwest Atlantic.
To quantify the impact of eddy/wind interactions on nutrient supply and primary production.

Main Methods:

New observational data from the northwest Atlantic.
Analysis of plankton blooms, diatom biomass, and primary production.
Inference of carbon export using oxygen anomalies in eddy cores.

Main Results:

Mode-water eddies generate substantial diatom biomass and primary production at depth, exceeding typical time-series productivity near Bermuda.
Eddy/wind interactions amplify upwelling in mode-water eddies, sustaining blooms, but dampen it in cyclones.
Carbon export in eddy cores is estimated to be 1-3 times the region's annual new production.

Conclusions:

Mode-water eddies significantly enhance primary production and carbon export in the subtropical ocean.
Eddy/wind interactions play a critical role in modulating upwelling strength and biological responses.
Episodic upwelling events, particularly within mode-water eddies, are vital for regional biogeochemical cycles.