A winter dinoflagellate bloom drives high rates of primary production in a Patagonian fjord ecosystem

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that GPP rates were significantly correlated (r = −0.8, p < 0.05) with a decrease in salinity/temperature and the presence of the Heterocapsa bloom. The bloom occurred under low surface irradiance levels characteristic of austral winter and was accompanied by strong northern winds, associated with the passage of a low-pressure system, and a water column dominated by double diffusive layering. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a dense dinoflagellate bloom during deep austral winter in a Patagonian fjord, and our data challenge the paradigm of light limitation as a factor controlling phytoplankton blooms in this region in winter.