Diatom Hotspots Driven by Western Boundary Current Instability

Climatic changes have decreased the stability of Gulf Stream (GS), increasing frequency at which its meanders interact with Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) continental shelf and slope region. These intrusions are thought to suppress biological productivity by transporting low-nutrient water otherwise productive edge Here we present evidence widespread, anomalously intense subsurface diatom hotspots in MAB sea that likely resulted from a GS intrusion July 2019. The (at ∼50 m) were associated mass properties characteristic (∼100 m); it is probable upwelling during transport into sea, meander directly intruding onto east where observed. Further work required unravel how increasingly frequent direct could influence marine ecosystems.