Annual cycle of dissolved silicate in Chesapeake Bay: implications for the production and fate of phytoplankton biomass

Seasonal variations in the distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, silicon, and phosphorus along the salinity gradient of Chesapeake Bay from 1984 to 1988 suggest that dissolved silicate (DSi) controls the magnitude of diatom production during the spring bloom, causes the collapse of the spring bloom, and leads to changes in floristic composition. High sedimentation rates of chlorophyll biomass observed during this period could be due to Si-deficiency, suggesting that the supply of DSi may also control the flux of phytoplankton biomass to the benthos, an important parameter of seasonal oxygen depletion in the Bay.