Subsurface Nutrient Delivery in the Gulf of Maine: A Study of Subsurface Lagrangian Pathways in a High Resolution Model

The Gulf of Maine (GOM) has long been recognized as an incredibly productive region, making it a valuable ecological and economic resource. The productivity of the region has been shown to be reliant on the subsurface delivery of inorganic nutrients by slope waters entering the GOM at depth through the Northeast Channel. Importantly, the character of the inflows has been shown to be changing as global temperatures warm. However, the fate of those important waters upon entry into the GOM has remained underexplored. Here, we investigate the changing inflows and their fate after they enter the GOM using output from a high resolution ocean circulation model. In particular, we look at the variability in the subsurface pathways and discuss potential dynamics that control when and where the waters enter the photic zone.