Assimilation of 14CO 2 in the dark compared to phytoplankton production in a small coastal inlet

Abstract

In the Bedford Basin, a small, enriched coastal inlet, assimilation of 14CO 2 in the dark varied from 20% (summer) to 200% (winter) of the assimilation in the light. Annual fixation of CO 2 in the dark was estimated to be 50 g C m −2 year −1 (with a standard deviation of 7 g C m −2 year −1) or about 25% of the estimated annual photosynthetic production of 200 g C m −2 year −1.