A suboxic chlorophyll-a maximum persists within the Pacific oxygen minimum zone off Mexico

Abstract

The tropical Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ) are known to shelter a chlorophyll-a maximum (CM) within suboxic waters (<20 μmol kg−1), below other chlorophyll-a maxima and with an unknown temporal variability in the Pacific OMZ off Mexico. Here, 1161 chlorophyll-a fluorescence and oxygen profiles collected between 2003 and 2016 were used to describe statistically the physical situation in which the suboxic-CM was found. Results indicate that the suboxic-CM was a persistent feature at seasonal scale at depths between 40 and 190 m at an average density potential anomaly of 26 ± 0.2 kg m−3, related to the Subtropical Subsurface Water, which is nearly unaffected by mixing with other water masses. The suboxic-CM south of 21°N was generally associated with the upper limit of the suboxic waters of the OMZ. In this region, the distance between the suboxic waters and the euphotic zone (1% of surface irradiance) was > - 25 m year-round, which suggests that persistent low-light levels allow development of the suboxic-CM. The persistence of the suboxic-CM is consistent with its association with a stable microbial community. The effects on the ecosystem and biogeochemical cycles remain to be investigated.