Abstract
The effects of marine photosynthesis and calcification on the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in seawater ( PCO 2 ) are examined in the light of recent studies and using original model calculations. The ratio of organic carbon to inorganic carbon production ( ROI) determines whether an ecosystem is a net sink or source for atmospheric CO 2. The PCO 2 maintains its initial value when the photosynthetic rate is approximately 0.6 times the calcification rate under normal sea surface condition. In case of higher ROI, the PCO 2 decreases and seawater can absorb atmospheric CO2. The ratio of organic carbon to inorganic carbon production can be used as a potential indicator of sink-source behavior in aquatic photo-calcifying systems. The role of the oceans in the global carbon cycle is a subject of contention in respect of their role in the maintenance of the atmospheric CO2 level. The net CO2 flux between air and sea can be estimated using wind speed, seawater temperature and the difference in the partial pressure of CO2 between seawater and atmosphere (Bolin, 1960; Broecker and Peng, 1974). Changes in the partial pressure of CO2 in seawater ( P CO2 ) are caused by thermodynamic variations (temperature and salinity), biological activity, and CO2 exchange with air. The effects of biological activity on P CO2 have received less attention than the thermodynamic
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