Articles | Volume 23, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1859-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1859-2026
Research article
 | 
11 Mar 2026
Research article |  | 11 Mar 2026

On the role of light and vertical mixing in shaping Southwestern Atlantic shelf blooms

Ana I. Dogliotti, Reinaldo A. Maenza, Moira Luz Clara, Vivian A. Lutz, and Robert Frouin

Data sets

Global Ocean Physics Reanalysis E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information (CMEMS) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00021

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

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Short summary
We analyzed 22 years of satellite and modeled data to study how light and mixing shape phytoplankton blooms on the Argentine Continental Shelf. Blooms start earlier on the central shelf and coast, and later on the deeper, colder Patagonian Shelf. Bloom intensity is highest in nutrient-rich, well-lit waters. Light penetration and mixing are key drivers, but local ocean features also influence bloom patterns. These findings improve our ability to predict ocean productivity and ecosystem behavior.
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