The key to dinoflagellate (Noctiluca scintillans) blooming and outcompeting diatoms in winter off Pakistan, northern Arabian Sea.

The Arabian Sea is prone to large-scale algal blooms during winter monsoon annually. However, it is unclear why dinoflagellate, especially Noctiluca scintillans, replaced diatoms as the main bloom species. Based on in situ, remote sensing and numerical-model data off Pakistan, we found a stratified water with less salty, suitable temperature (~24 °C) and low-light conditions at the subsurface, as well as the organic nutrient accumulation and silicate limitation, were crucial for the growth of N. scintillans and outcompeting diatoms. The superposition of cyclonic eddy promoted N. scintillans pumping to surface and forming large-scale bloom. Subsequently, the shading effect of surface bloom caused the disappearance of subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer. This result suggests that the combined effects of nutrient structure and hydrodynamics play an important role in the prevalence of N. scintillans.