The effects of the San Francisco Bay plume on trace metal and nutrient distributions in the Gulf of the Farallones

Abstract The distributions of particulate elements (Al, P, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), dissolved trace metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Cd), and dissolved nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, and silicic acid) were investigated in the Gulf of the Farallones, a region of high productivity that is driven by the dynamic mixing of the San Francisco Bay plume, upwelled waters, and California coastal surface waters. Particulate metals were separated into >10 and 0.4–10 μm size-fractions and further fractionated into leachable (operationally defined with a 25% acetic acid leach) and refractory particulate concentrations. Dissolved metals (