Di-nitrogen (N2) fixation plays a well-recognized role in the enhancement of primary production and
arguably particle export in oligotrophic regions of the subtropical and tropical oceans. However, recent
evidence suggests that N2 fixation may also be significant in regions of the surface ocean proximate to
or overlying zones of intense subsurface denitrification. In this study, we present results from a series
of research cruises in the Gulf of California (GoCal) and adjacent waters of the Eastern Tropical North
Pacific (ETNP). Measurements include microscopy, genomic analyses, incubations, stable isotopic measurements,
and sediment traps coupled with 238U:234Th disequilibria. Combined, these results suggest
that N2 fixing microorganisms are present and active throughout the region, with larger sized Richelia
and Trichodesmium spp. recorded within the warmer waters at the entrance to and within the GoCal,
and smaller, unicellular diazotrophs observed in the cooler waters of the northern ETNP. N2 fixation rates
in the summer varied from 15–70 lmol N m2 d1
, with episodic blooms contributing as much as
795 lmol N m2 d1
. While the estimated contribution of N2 fixation to particle export was highly
variable, blooms of diatom-Richelia symbioses accounted for as much as 44% of the measured summer
carbon flux at 100 m. Alternately, evaluation of the N isotopic composition of sinking material and the
magnitude of measured N2 fixation rates indicate negligible to small enhancements of new production
when blooms of either colonial Trichodesmium spp. or unicellular diazotrophs were encountered. Consistent
with previous research, we also found that while fluxes of C to sediment traps are similar in winter
and summer months, the efficiency of C export (export/surface productivity) in the GoCal region is elevated
during summer relative to the more productive diatom-dominated winter phase of the seasonal
cycle. The episodic and variable nature of N2 fixation recorded in this region make it unlikely that new
production via diazotrophic activity is solely responsible for the observed patterns of C transport effi-
ciency; rather, we hypothesize that eolian inputs and/or efficient transport of picocyanobacterial biomass
via grazing or aggregation may further explain the enhanced export efficiency observed in the GoCal
summer. In sum, diazotrophy typically supports