In situ-measured primary production in Lake Superior

Abstract

Water column primary production is a major term in the organic carbon cycle, particularly in large lakes with relatively reduced shoreline and near-shore influence. Presently, there is a large imbalance in the known inputs vs. outputs of organic carbon in Lake Superior. This study examined primary production in offshore Lake Superior using in situ incubations over a range of conditions representing an annual cycle. Primary producers were dominated by small (< 20 μm) cells and included a relatively large abundance of small, spherical flagellates. During conditions with a warm surface layer, chlorophyll concentrations were two- to three-fold higher within the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) than at the surface. Volumetric production (mass L − 1 d − 1 ) was maximal at 2-10 m depth, well above the typical DCM depth. On average, 22% of 14C label appeared in the dissolved pool at the end of the incubation period with the rest appearing in GF/F-strained particles. A statistical model for volumetric production explained 93% of the variance in individual measurements for depths > 2 m, using temperature and light as predictors. This model was applied to annual fields of temperature and light, and a new estimate for whole-lake annual primary production, 9.73 Tg y − 1 , was derived. This combination of new measurements and modeling results brings the organic carbon cycle of Lake Superior closer to being balanced.