PDFArticle Abstract
The coastal margin of the Pacific Northwest of the United States is a highly dynamic and productive region. Here, we use satellite, high-frequency mooring, and glider estimates of biologically relevant physical and optical variables to characterize seasonal patterns and latitudinal and cross-shore gradients in particle concentrations between the Washington and Oregon shelves. Consistent with prior research, we find that the Columbia River exerts a strong seasonal influence on the Washington shelf, but smaller coastal rivers and resuspension processes also appear important in determining particle distributions nearshore during winter across the full study region. We find fluorescence-based measurements of chlorophyll to be similar in magnitude across the two shelves over the time period examined, although the much weaker wind stresses off Washington indicate that processes other than upwelling are important determinants of chlorophyll changes in those areas, as previously suggested. These in situ observations contrast with the overall differences observed from satellite data, which consistently show higher chlorophyll concentrations off the Washington coast. This research suggests that latitudinal differences in chromophoric dissolved organic matter may be a partial explanation for perceived trends in satellite-derived chlorophyll. The observations presented are nascent; maturation of temporal and spatial coverage of OOI data sets will be necessary to more conclusively link physical forcing and biogeochemical responses.