Short Time‐Scale Variability of Ammonium, Nitrate, and Nitrogen Loss Dynamics During an Upwelling‐Induced Bloom at the Oregon Shelf

Abstract

AbstractAmmonium, a key intermediate nutrient, is typically low to undetectable on the Oregon coast, particularly as active upwelling delivers high onshore flow of ammonium‐poor waters. However, during bloom and post‐bloom conditions large ammonium concentrations and uptake rates have been described. High‐frequency on board nitrate + nitrite and ammonium analysis synchronized with continuous data from a towed profiling vehicle (equipped with in situ temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and beam attenuation sensors), allowed us to describe coupled high‐resolution physico‐chemical dynamics of inorganic nitrogen in seven cross‐shelf transects, over several days, during an active phytoplankton bloom following cessation of upwelling favorable winds. We present first‐of‐their‐kind high‐resolution cross‐sections showing a build‐up, both within a thin plume of onshore‐originated water, and in mid‐to‐bottom on‐shore water columns, from undetectable values to up to 8 µM of ammonium. The plume extended across the shelf at mid‐depth and was identified in all transects. We also detected a decrease of nitrate in distinct water masses close to the mid‐shelf seabed, associated with low dissolved oxygen, and identified and quantified the amount of nitrogen lost. We found that nitrogen loss was minimal on the first days of relaxation conditions, and increased up to 12 μM off Newport. Combining nitrogen fluxes from benthic incubation chambers and N loss calculated with the NO tracer, we estimated that denitrification in sediments could not account for all N loss, requiring 22%–86% to occur elsewhere. Close association of N loss with particle‐rich, low O2 waters suggests the possibility that particle‐aggregate micro‐environments could provide additional sites for water column denitrification.