Nutrient dynamics and their influence in the Northern Gulf of Alaska

The Northern Gulf of Alaska (NGA) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site was recently established to investigate the key oceanographic and ecological drivers of this productive subarctic shelf ecosystem. The macro-nutrient nitrate and the micro-nutrient iron are key resources in the NGA that influence observed patterns of primary production and community composition. These two nutrients have very different sources and chemistries, which result in high temporal and spatial heterogeneity in nutrient structure within the euphotic layer of the NGA. This heterogeneity contributes to the intense environmental variability experienced by primary producers throughout the growing season in this system, which we hypothesize leads to resilience at the species and community level. Here we will highlight findings from 2018-19 field seasons in the context of previous observations.