Chemical and Biological Oceanographic Conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the Eastern Gulf of Maine during 2023

Casault, B., Johnson, C.L., Devred, E., and Beazley, L. 2025. Chemical and Biological Oceanographic Conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the Eastern Gulf of Maine during 2023. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3658: vi + 57 p. https://doi.org/10.60825/4d69-8120 Nutrient and plankton metrics are assessed in the context of physical conditions observed in the Maritimes region in 2023. Sub-surface (50-150 m) nitrate inventories were spatially variable across the region in 2023 but indicated a gradual return toward near-normal levels, except in the Bay of Fundy (i.e., at Prince-5) where a record-low value was observed in 2023. Bottom nitrate concentrations during summer were predominantly below normal across the region in 2023. In situ chlorophyll-a inventories were on average higher than normal in the region in 2023. Surface chlorophyll-a concentrations measured by satellite remote sensing reached record-high values in some sub-regions in 2023. The spring phytoplankton bloom timing was later than normal with a mainly lower-than-normal intensity in 2023. The fall bloom was generally earlier than normal with a higher-than-normal intensity. Diatoms abundance at Halifax-2 indicates…

Publisher

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Resources

16

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-03-24