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What ‘causes’ summer-time Hecate plankton blooms???	In 2005
	For lots of reasons July –August 2005 may be very atypical

Minimal bloom activity on 6th

Is Upwelling the Cause??

This example (Aug 6-8) looks clearly ‘caused’ by NW winds – even though not especially strong in Hecate

(Wind images from buoys

Chlorophyll images from MODIS – AQUA --- (the Terra one gives false colors for chlorophyll)

SST images from NOAA

Best starting point here
then choose

temperature (SST analysis ) the green arrow below points to a ‘pool’ of cool water in area where blooms evident (above at August 08)

Upwelling on SST images

Images from different souces/ times but similar ‘story’— arrows pointing to cooler water

Upwelling regime of California Current

Image here of CCS – bottom page

US site real time images of CCS

Here there is no doubt (use Aqua selection on site) we are dealing with upwelling water (cooler nutrient rich waters ‘causing plankton blooms)
especially the Washington/OR

But is upwelling sufficient??

Plankton blooming along E shore of Hecate – almost any day that satellite able to ‘see’ ocean color --- while there may be several different causes including winds and fresh water run-off

One good candidate could be that shallow areas are being mixed by tidal action and no real thermocline is set up

Hecate Handbook says this is what happens at QC Sound area north end Vancouver Island ---

Created by LG on AUG /11/2005

Last updated on Saturday, August 13, 2005

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In 2005