Carbon export associated with free-drifting icebergs in the Southern Ocean

Abstract

Enrichment of the pelagic ecosystem associated with the proliferation of free-drifting icebergs prompts questions about increased productivity and the export flux of organic carbon to the deep ocean with continued climate warming. Lagrangian Sediment Traps (LST) were deployed autonomously beneath a large tabular, free-drifting iceberg (C-18a) in the NW Weddell Sea during March and April 2009 to collect sinking particles at a depth of 600 m. Three LST deployments associated with C-18a, within a 30-km radius, collected sinking diatom frustules, dominated by Corethron pennatum and Fragilariopsis nana, euphausiid fragments, crustacean and fish fecal material, detrital aggregates and mineral grains. One LST deployment at a “control” site 74 km away in open water devoid of icebergs collected diatom frustules, euphausiid molts, crustacean fecal material and detrital aggregates. Phytoplankton abundance, microbial abundance and biomass were significantly higher in the LST samples than in open-water collections at 500 m depth. The mean mass flux and organic carbon flux associated with iceberg C-18a were twice as high, 124 mg m −2 d −1 and 5.6 mg C org m −2 d −1, respectively, than at the control site. A similar trend was observed in C org/ 234Th activity, being highest near C-18a and lowest at the control site. Extrapolation of the area of enrichment to 30 km radius around C-18a, 2826 km 2, produces an estimated mass flux of 350 tons d −1 and carbon flux of 15.8 tons C org d −1. Five similar sized icebergs to C-18a were identified in satellite images in a surrounding 47,636 km 2 area at the same time of sampling. Assuming a 30-km radius as the area of influence around each of these five icebergs, 46% of the total area would be enhanced with an export flux at 600 m of 122.4 tons C org d −1. The large numbers of smaller icebergs identified visually in this area would only increase this area of influence. Icebergs serve as areas of local enrichment and with increased proliferation, must be considered in the cycling of carbon in the Southern Ocean.