3C Cape Hatteras/Gulf of Maine 



Charles S. Yentsch 



Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences 

 West Boothbay Harbor, Maine 



In early spring, highly diverse patterns of phytoplankton distribution 

 are present in the oceanic regions off Cape Hatteras, Cape Cod, and the 

 Gulf of Maine. In terms of seasonal change, this period is the onset of 

 vernal warming— a transition between winter and summer. This chmatic 

 transition gives rise to the spring bloom of phytoplankton in the slope 

 waters of the region. This bloom constitutes one of the most important 

 periods of photosynthetic carbon fixation for the ecosystem of this region. 



45 



