Bottom water formation as a primer for spring-blooms on Spitsbergenbanken?

In a spring-bloom ecosystem such as the Barents Sea, the seasonal variations in sea ice and insolation play important roles for the seasonal stratification, which is a prerequisite for the spring-bloom to start. Here, we identify an additional mechanism which may contribute to the seasonal stratification on the Spitsbergenbanken slope: Dense bottom water formed through ice formation and subsequent brine rejection on the bank, is advected down the slope and stratifies the water column. Under certain circumstances, this may contribute to make the physical conditions favorable for the spring-bloom to start, and may potentially alter the timing of the spring-bloom locally. We utilize an eddy resolving numerical ocean model to study this mechanism, and discuss evidence from observations.