Sinking Particulate Organic Carbon Research Articles

Myctophid feeding ecology and carbon transport along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Myctophids are among the most abundant fishes in the world׳s ocean and occupy a key position in marine pelagic food webs. Through their significant diel vertical migrations and metabolism they also have the potential to be a significant contributor to carbon export. We investigated the feeding ecology and contribution to organic carbon export by three myctophid species, Benthosema glaciale, Protomyctophum arcticum, and Hygophum hygomii, from a structurally and ecologically unique ecosystem- the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Similar to the results of previous studies, the diet of these fishes was primarily copepods and euphausiids, however, gelatinous zooplankton was identified in the diet of B. glaciale for the first time. Ridge section and time of day were significant explanatory variables in the diet of B. glaciale as determined by canonical correspondence analysis, while depth was the only significant explanatory variable in the diet of P. arcticum. Daily consumption by MAR myctophids was less than 1% of dry body weight per day and resulted in the removal of less than 1% of zooplankton biomass daily. Although lower than previous estimates of carbon transport by myctophids and zooplankton in other areas, MAR myctophid active transport by diel vertical migration was equivalent to up to 8% of sinking particulate organic carbon in the North Atlantic. While highly abundant, myctophids do not impart significant predation pressure on MAR zooplankton, and play a modest role in the active transport of carbon from surface waters.

The influence of winter convection on primary production: A parameterisation using a hydrostatic three-dimensional biogeochemical model

In the recent past observational and modelling studies have shown that the vertical displacement of water parcels, and therefore, phytoplankton particles in regions of deep-reaching convection plays a key role in late winter/early spring primary production. The underlying mechanism describes how convection cells capture living phytoplankton cells and recurrently expose them to sunlight.This study presents a parameterisation called ‘phytoconvection’ which focusses on the influence of convection on primary production. This parameterisation was implemented into a three-dimensional physical–biogeochemical model and applied to the Northwestern European Continental Shelf and areas of the adjacent Northeast Atlantic. The simulation was compared to a ‘conventional’ parameterisation with respect to its influence on phytoplankton concentrations during the annual cycle and its effect on the carbon cycle.The simulation using the new parameterisation showed good agreement with observation data recorded during winter, whereas the reference simulation did not capture the observed phytoplankton concentrations. The new parameterisation had a strong influence on the carbon export through the sinking of particulate organic carbon. The carbon export during late winter/early spring significantly exceeded the export of the reference run.Furthermore, a non-hydrostatic convection model was used to evaluate the major assumption of the presented parameterisation which implies the matching of the mixed layer depth with the convective mixing depth. The applied mixed layer depth criterion principally overestimates the actual convective mixing depth. However, the results showed that this assumption is reasonable during late winter, while indicating a mismatch during spring.

Aged black carbon in marine sediments and sinking particles

We report measurements of oceanic black carbon (BC) to determine the sources of BC to abyssal marine sediments in the northeast Pacific Ocean. We find that the average 14C age of BC is older (by 6200 ± 2200 14C years) than that of the concurrently deposited non-BC sedimentary organic carbon. We investigate sources of aged BC to sediments by measuring a sample of sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) and find that POC may provide the main transport mechanism of BC to sediments. We suggest that aged BC is incorporated into POC from a combination of resuspended sediments and sorption of ancient dissolved organic carbon BC onto POC. Our BC flux estimate represents ~8–16% of the global burial flux of organic carbon to abyssal sediments and constitutes a minimum long-term removal estimate of 6–32% of biomass-derived BC using the present day emission flux.

Dynamics of particulate organic carbon flux in a global ocean model

Abstract. The sinking of particulate organic carbon (POC) is a key component of the ocean carbon cycle and plays an important role in the global climate system. However, the processes controlling the fraction of primary production that is exported from the euphotic zone (export ratio) and how much of it survives respiration in the mesopelagic to be sequestered in the deep ocean (transfer efficiency) are not well understood. In this study, we use a three-dimensional, coupled physical–biogeochemical model (CCSM–BEC; Community Climate System Model–ocean Biogeochemical Elemental Cycle) to investigate the processes controlling the export of particulate organic matter from the euphotic zone and its flux to depth. We also compare model results with sediment trap data and other parameterizations of POC flux to depth to evaluate model skill and gain further insight into the causes of error and uncertainty in POC flux estimates. In the model, export ratios are mainly a function of diatom relative abundance and temperature while absolute fluxes and transfer efficiency are driven by mineral ballast composition of sinking material. The temperature dependence of the POC remineralization length scale is modulated by denitrification under low O2 concentrations and lithogenic (dust) fluxes. Lithogenic material is an important control of transfer efficiency in the model, but its effect is restricted to regions of strong atmospheric dust deposition. In the remaining regions, CaCO3 content of exported material is the main factor affecting transfer efficiency. The fact that mineral ballast composition is inextricably linked to plankton community structure results in correlations between export ratios and ballast minerals fluxes (opal and CaCO3), and transfer efficiency and diatom relative abundance that do not necessarily reflect ballast or direct ecosystem effects, respectively. This suggests that it might be difficult to differentiate between ecosystem and ballast effects in observations. The model's skill in reproducing sediment trap observations is equal to or better than that of other parameterizations. However, the sparseness and relatively large uncertainties of sediment trap data makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the skill of the model and other parameterizations. More POC flux observations, over a wider range of ecological regimes, are necessary to thoroughly evaluate and test model results and better understand the processes controlling POC flux to depth in the ocean.

Not all calcite ballast is created equal: differing effects of foraminiferan and coccolith calcite on the formation and sinking of aggregates

Abstract. Correlation between particulate organic carbon (POC) and calcium carbonate sinking through the deep ocean has led to the idea that ballast provided by calcium carbonate is important for the export of POC from the surface ocean. While this idea is certainly to some extent true, it is worth considering in more nuance, for example, examining the different effects on the aggregation and sinking of POC of small, non-sinking calcite particles like coccoliths and large, rapidly sinking calcite like planktonic foraminiferan tests. We have done that here in a simple experiment carried out in roller tanks that allow particles to sink continuously without being impeded by container walls. Coccoliths were efficiently incorporated into aggregates that formed during the experiment, increasing their sinking speed compared to similarly sized aggregates lacking added calcite ballast. The foraminiferan tests, which sank as fast as 700 m d−1, became associated with only very minor amounts of POC. In addition, when they collided with other, larger, foram-less aggregates, they fragmented them into two smaller, more slowly sinking aggregates. While these effects were certainly exaggerated within the confines of the rolling tanks, they clearly demonstrate that calcium carbonate ballast is not just calcium carbonate ballast – different forms of calcium carbonate ballast have notably different effects on POC aggregation, sinking, and export.

Mesozooplankton carbon requirement in the southern Adriatic Sea: vertical distribution, diel and seasonal variability, relation to particle flux

Mesozooplankton plays a role in particulate organic carbon (POC) remineralisation from the pelagic sinking POC flux down the water column. The vertical distribution (to 1000 m depth), diel variability (during a 24 h cycle) and seasonal differences of the mesozooplankton carbon requirement (µg C g �1 d �1 ), estimated by measuring the activity of the electron transport system, were investigated at a fixed station in the southern Adriatic Sea during November 2006 and April 2007. To estimate the quantitative role of zooplankton in the carbon loss that occurs during organic particle sinking, the zooplankton carbon requirement was compared with organic carbon vertical fluxes measured using a sediment trap. Zooplankton abundance, biomass and community composition were investigated along with the diel vertical distribution of euphausiid migrating groups and the relative importance of crustaceans and gelatinous taxa to the potential community carbon requirement. Day/night zooplankton carbon requirement differences in the upper 100 m were shown in both sampling periods. They were not at all correlated to the vertical distribution pattern of euphausiids but were attributable to the amount of non-living specimens and/or the ratio between gelatinous and crustacean taxa. The mean metabolic requirement in the sampled layers of the water column was lower in November than in April, ranging from 0.02 to 9.10% and from 0.07 to 31.86%, respectively, of the measured carbon losses. In the epi- and meso- pelagic zones, the total percent contributions of mesozooplankton respiration to organic carbon losses were 0.18 and 18.45%, respectively, in November and 1.41 and 87.27%, respectively, in April. The higher remineralisation percentages detected in April compared to November could be linked to seasonal differences that involve higher primary production, zooplankton biomass, ver- tical amount of sinking POC flux and more intense heterotrophic metabolism, which take place mainly in the meso pelagic layer in each period.

Vertical Carbon Flux of Biogenic Matter in a Coastal Area of the Aegean Sea: The Importance of Appendicularians

This work focuses on the direct measurement of the vertical flux of appendicularian houses in order to assess their importance as a component of vertical carbon flux in coastal areas. For this purpose, arrays of cylindrical sediment traps were deployed for 5 to 8 days at two depths in a coastal area of the northern Aegean Sea (inner Thermaikos Gulf) during spring. The data support the contention that resuspension was minimal. Fecal pellet (FP) production and grazing experiments with the dominant copepods (Acartia clausi) were conducted to provide additional information on the potential FP contribution to the total carbon flux. The magnitude of the vertical flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) ranged between 310 and 724 mg C m−2 day−1. The proportion of phytoplankton carbon in the POC vertical flux was up to 45 %. The contribution of zooplankton FPs to the total carbon never exceeded 5 %. On the contrary, appendicularian houses were an essential component of the biogenic carbon flux contributing up to 55.3 % of the total vertical carbon flux. Consequently, both phytoplankton and appendicularian houses contributed equally to the biogenic carbon flux exceeding 80 % of the total sinking POC. Taking into account the sinking speed of the particles and the environment in the area, all this carbon probably reaches the seafloor, thus indicating a strong pelagic–benthic coupling.

Contributions of mesozooplankton to vertical carbon export in a coastal upwelling system

Mesozooplankton can directly impact global biogeochemical cycles by repackaging particulate organic carbon (POC) into dense, rapidly sinking fecal pellets and by undertaking ver- tical migrations that transport carbon and nutrients to depth. We assessed these contributions of mesozooplankton to vertical flux in the California Current Ecosystem, a productive but spatiotem- porally variable coastal upwelling system, during cruises in April 2007 and October 2008. Sedi- ment traps and Thorium-234 ( 234 Th) disequilibrium measurements were used to assess the total passive flux of sinking POC, while pigment analyses and microscopic enumeration of sediment trap samples provided estimates of total fecal carbon transport. Identification of mesozooplankton in paired day-night, vertically stratified plankton tows allowed calculation of the active transport of carbon by the dominant taxa of vertically migrating mesozooplankton (particularly copepods and euphausiids). Across the range of 9 ecosystem conditions encountered on the cruises, recog- nizable fecal pellet mass flux varied from 3.5 to 135 mg C m �2 d �1 (3 to 94% of total passive flux) at the 100 m depth horizon. The active transport of carbon by migratory mesozooplankton taxa contributed an additional 2.4 to 47.1 mg C m �2 d �1 (1.9 to 40.5% of total passive flux). Inter-cruise comparisons suggest that fecal pellets contributed a higher portion of passive export during the productive spring cruise, when fecal material may have been responsible for close to 100% of sinking material. During the fall cruise, a gradient was observed with carbon export in productive water parcels driven by a large contribution of fecal pellets. In the less productive regions, fall ver- tical fluxes contained a higher proportion of marine snow and unidentifiable particles.

Impacts of the wintertime mesozooplankton community to downward carbon flux in the subarctic and subtropical Pacific Oceans

We compared wintertime depth distributions of the mesozooplankton community and dominant copepods between the subtropical (S1) and subarctic (K2) Pacific Oceans to evaluate the relative importance of actively transported carbon by vertical migrants to sinking particulate organic carbon flux. Primary production was higher and the ratio of sinking particulate organic carbon flux to primary production was lower at S1 compared with those at K2. The mesozooplankton community was lower in abundance and biomass at S1 compared to K2. Copepods were the dominant group among both mesozooplankton abundance and biomass throughout the water column down to 1000m at both sites. The depth distribution showed that diel vertical migration was obvious for the mesozooplankton abundance and biomass at S1 but was not apparent for the abundance at K2, because the dominant component was diurnally migrating species at S1 and overwintering species residing at mesopelagic depths at K2. The major components of diel migrants were copepods and euphausiids at S1 and only euphausiids at K2. Respiratory flux by the diurnally migrating mesozooplankton was estimated to be 2mgCm−2 day−1 at S1 and 7mgCm−2 day−1 at K2. The respiratory flux was equivalent to 131% of sedimentary fecal pellet flux at S1 and 136% of that at K2. Because pathways of downward carbon flux are facilitated by the mesozooplankton community, the actively transported carbon (respiration of dissolved inorganic carbon, excretion of dissolved organic carbon and egestion of fecal pellets at depth) might be larger during winter than the flux of sinking fecal pellets.

Particle sinking dynamics and POC fluxes in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific based on 234Th budgets and sediment trap deployments

Assuming steady-state over seasonal to annual timescales, and limited horizontal export of dissolved nutrients, the vertical fluxes of limiting nutrients into the euphotic zone should be balanced by particle export. Sediment traps and 234Th budgets have both been used extensively throughout the oceans as a means to measure this particulate flux from the upper ocean. One main goal of these efforts has been to determine the amount of CO2 fixed by primary producers in the surface ocean that is exported as particulate organic carbon (POC) and conversely, the decrease of particle flux with depth has been used to estimate remineralization rates of nutrients. Although disagreement between trap-derived and 234Th-derived fluxes has often been noted, the possible reasons for the imbalance are numerous, and thus often it is difficult to assign causes. Here, we examine many commonly implicated contributors to the disagreement, allowing us to assess data from a recent 2-year study in the ETSP that shows systematic disagreement between the two methods. Averaging results from both years, sediment traps collected 0.2–1.5mmolCm−2d−1 (mean: 0.74mmolCm−2d−1) of POC, while the thorium-based method estimated an average POC flux of 1.5–14mmolCm−d−1 (mean: 6.2mmolCm−2d−1). The study area spans regions of differing ecological structure, as inferred from trap mineralogy, and the flux disagreement coincides with this ecological range. We interpret the difference as undercollection of poorly ballasted, slowly sinking particles by the sediment traps. Using both methods simultaneously offers insight into ecosystem structure and resulting particle flux dynamics. The thorium deficit-based flux is 5–10% of previously published estimates of primary productivity based on 14C incubations (Pennington et al., 2006), and 8–20% of concurrent estimates based on 14C incubations and oxygen supersaturation (Capone et al., personal communication; Prokopenko et al., personal communication).

Late summer particulate organic carbon export and twilight zone remineralisation in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract. As part of the GEOTRACES Bonus-GoodHope (BGH) expedition (January–March 2008) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, particulate organic carbon (POC) export was examined from the surface to the mesopelagic twilight zone using water column distributions of total 234Th and biogenic particulate Ba (Baxs). Surface POC export production was estimated from steady state and non steady state modelling of 234Th fluxes, which were converted into POC fluxes, using the POC/234Th ratio of large, potentially sinking particles (> 53 μm) collected via in situ pumps. Deficits in 234Th activities were observed at all stations from the surface to the bottom of the mixed layer, yielding 234Th export fluxes from the upper 100 m of 496 ± 214 dpm m−2 d−1 to 1195 ± 158 dpm m−2 d−1 for the steady state model and of 149 ±517 dpm m−2 d−1 to 1217 ± 231 dpm m−2 d−1 for the non steady state model. Using the POC/234Thp ratio of sinking particles (ratios varied from 1.7 ± 0.2 μmol dpm−1 to 4.8 ± 1.9 μmol dpm−1) POC export production at 100 m was calculated to range between 0.9 ± 0.4 and 5.1 ± 2.1 mmol C m−2 d−1,assuming steady state and between 0.3 ± 0.9 m−2 d−1 and 4.9 ± 3.3 mmol C m−2 d−1, assuming non steady state. From the comparison of both approaches, it appears that during late summer export decreased by 56 to 16% for the area between the sub-Antarctic zone and the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front (SACCF), whereas it remained rather constant over time in the HNLC area south of the SACCF. POC export represented only 6 to 54% of new production, indicating that export efficiency was, in general, low, except in the vicinity of the SACCF, where export represented 56% of new production. Attenuation of the POC sinking flux in the upper mesopelagic waters (100–600 m depth interval) was evidenced both, from excess 234Th activities and from particulate biogenic Ba (Baxs) accumulation. Excess 234Th activities, reflected by 234Th/238U ratios as large as 1.21 ± 0.05, are attributed to remineralisation/disaggregation of 234Th-bearing particles. The accumulation of excess 234Th in the 100–600 m depth interval ranged from 458 ± 633 dpm m−2 d−1 to 3068 ± 897 dpm m−2 d−1, assuming steady state. Using the POC/234Thp ratio of sinking particles (> 53 μm), this 234Th accumulation flux was converted into a POC remineralisation flux which ranged between 0.9 ± 1.2 mmol C m−2 d−1 and 9.2 ± 2.9 mmol C m−2 d−1. Mesopelagic particulate biogenic Ba has been reported to reflect bacterial degradation of organic matter and to be related to oxygen consumption and bacterial carbon respiration. We observed that the highest Baxs contents (reaching up to > 1000 pM), in general, occurred between 200 and 400 m. Depth-weighted average mesopelagic Baxs (meso-Baxs) values were converted into respired C fluxes, which ranged between 0.23 and 6.4 mmol C m−2 d−1, in good agreement with 234Th-based remineralisation fluxes. A major outcome from this study is the observed significant positive correlation between POC remineralisation as estimated from meso-Baxs contents and from 234Th excess (R2 = 0.73; excluding 2 outliers). Remineralisation of POC in the twilight zone was particularly efficient relative to POC export resulting in negligible bathypelagic (> 600 m) POC export fluxes in the sub-Antarctic zone, the Polar Front zone and the northern Weddell Gyre, while the subtropical zone as well as the vicinity of the SACCF had significant deep POC fluxes.

Large‐scale geographical variation in prokaryotic abundance and production in meso‐ and bathypelagic zones of the central Pacific and Southern Ocean

Heterotrophic production and abundance of prokaryotes (i.e., Bacteria and Archaea) in meso‐ (200‐1000 m) and bathypelagic (> 1000 m) zones were measured at 31 stations along meridional transects of the central Pacific and Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, covering a latitudinal range from 67.5°S to 53.6°N. Prokaryotic production and biomass in the mesopelagic zone displayed strong regional variation, generally consistent with model‐based estimates of sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) flux patterns. In the bathypelagic zone, the prokaryotic abundance distributions reflected sinking POC flux patterns, whereas the prokaryotic production distributions were complex and unrelated to sinking POC fluxes. In general, the prokaryotic carbon consumption (PCC) was accounted for by the POC flux, within a factor of three, except in the bathypelagic zone of the subtropical region, where PCC exceeded the POC flux at 1000 m by up to seven times. Our results generally support the notion that prokaryote abundance and production distributions in the ocean's interior display consistent vertical patterns among distant locations and generally reflect the POC flux regime over a large scale, although complex prokaryotic production distributions in the bathypelagic zone might indicate the presence of links between regional hydrographic features and organic carbon delivery in deep waters.

Primary production and sinking export during fall in the Hudson Bay system, Canada

Primary production and organic material sinking export were investigated in the Hudson Bay system (i.e., Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait and Foxe Basin) under ice-free conditions during early fall 2005, using the 14C-uptake method and short-term free-drifting particle interceptor traps deployed below the euphotic zone at 50m. Principal component analysis revealed spatial patterns of primary production and chlorophyll a (chl a) biomass in the euphotic zone that were shaped by hydrographic conditions and nutrient concentrations linked to freshwater/seawater influence. Primary production rates varied widely, from 70 to 435mgCm−2d−1, while the range of particulate organic carbon (POC) sinking fluxes was narrow, from 50 to 77mgCm−2d−1. Consequently, high ratios of POC sinking export to primary production (i.e., export ratios; range of 0.38–0.69) were observed at stations where primary production was low and dominated by small cells, and where heterotrophic protist dominated in biomass. These results show that at short temporal scales neither protist community structure nor biomass or production rates could be used to predict the magnitude of POC sinking export from the euphotic zone.

Vertical distribution of prokaryote production and abundance in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers of the Canada Basin, western Arctic: Implications for the mode and extent of organic carbon delivery

The vertical distributions of prokaryote heterotrophic production (3H-leucine incorporation rate) and abundance were investigated in the meso- and bathy-pelagic layers of the Canada Basin, western Arctic Ocean, during September 2009. Prokaryote production and abundance were high in the Pacific-origin water mass located in the upper mesopelagic layer (depth, 100–200m). Below the halocline layer (depth, 300–3000m), both the production and abundance decreased with depth, with log–log regression slopes of −1.33 and −0.77, respectively. Depth-integrated production and biomass in the meso- and bathy-pelagic layers was three- to five-fold lower than the corresponding values reported in the subpolar regions, whereas they were close to or lower than the corresponding values in oligotrophic subtropical regions. Prokaryote turnover times were estimated to be 1.1 and 6.1 years for meso- and bathy-pelagic layers, respectively, with the latter being among the longest turnover times reported for oceanic basins. We estimated prokaryote carbon demand in the water column (100–3000m) to be on the order of 11mgCm−2d−1, which largely exceeds (by 38-fold) the sinking particulate organic carbon flux at depths of 120–200m reported in the literature. This large carbon imbalance may be partly explained by organic carbon delivery by lateral intrusion of the Pacific-origin water mass into the upper mesopelagic layer.

On the proportion of ballast versus non‐ballast associated carbon export in the surface ocean

The role of biominerals in driving carbon export from the surface ocean is unclear. We compiled surface particulate organic carbon (POC), and mineral ballast export fluxes from 55 different locations in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans. Substantial surface POC export accompanied by negligible mineral export was recorded implying that association with mineral phases is not a precondition for organic export to occur. The proportion of non‐mineral associated sinking POC ranged from 0 to 80% and was highest in areas previously shown to be dominated by diatoms. This is consistent with previous estimates showing that transfer efficiency in such regions is low. However we propose that, rather than the low transfer efficiency arising from diatom blooms being inherently characterized by poorly packaged aggregates which are efficiently exported but which disintegrate readily in mid water, it is due to such environments having very high levels of unballasted organic C export.

Possible influence of bacterial quorum sensing on the hydrolysis of sinking particulate organic carbon in marine environments

A central component of the ocean's biological carbon pump is the export of sinking, photosynthetically derived, particulate organic carbon (POC). Bacteria colonize these particles and produce enzymes that hydrolyse sinking POC thereby acting as one of the major controls on the biological pump. Here we provide evidence that a bacterial cell-cell communication mechanism, quorum sensing (QS), may influence the activity of hydrolytic enzymes on sinking particles. We collected sinking POC from a site off Vancouver Island, Canada and found that it contained acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs), a suite of well-known bacterial communication molecules. Furthermore, we observed that the addition of exogenous AHLs to incubations containing sinking POC affected the activity of key hydrolytic enzymes involved in POC degradation in some cases. Our results suggest that AHL-based QS could play an important role in regulating the degradation of sinking POC and that variability in AHL-triggered POC hydrolysis is a heretofore unrecognized process that impacts the marine biological carbon pump.

Summertime primary production and carbon export in the southeastern Beaufort Sea during the low ice year of 2008

Following the extreme low ice year of 2007, primary production and the sinking export of particulate and gel-like organic material, using short-term particle interceptor traps deployed at 100 m, were measured in the southeastern Beaufort Sea during summer 2008. The combined influence of early ice retreat and coastal upwelling contributed to exceptionally high primary production (500 ± 312 mg C m−2 day−1, n = 7), dominated by large cells (>5 μm, 73% ± 15%, n = 7). However, except for one station located north of Cape Bathurst, the sinking export of particulate organic carbon (POC) was relatively low (range: 38–104 mg C m−2 day−1, n = 12) compared to other productive Arctic shelves. Estimates indicate that 80% ± 20% of the primary production was cycled through large copepods or the microbial food web. Exopolymeric substances were abundant in the sinking material but did not appear to accelerate POC sinking export. The use of isotopic signatures (δ13C, δ15N) and carbon/nitrogen ratios to identify sources of the sinking material was successful only at two stations with a strong marine or terrestrial signature, indicating the limitations of this approach in hydrographically and biologically complex Arctic coastal waters such as in the Beaufort Sea. At these two stations influenced by either coastal upwelling or erosion, the composition and magnitude of particulate sinking fluxes were markedly different from other stations visited during the study. These observations underscore the fundamental role of mesoscale circulation patterns and hydrodynamic singularities on the export of particulate organic material on Arctic shelves.

Controls on mesopelagic particle fluxes in the Sub-Antarctic and Polar Frontal Zones in the Southern Ocean south of Australia in summer—Perspectives from free-drifting sediment traps

The SAZ-Sense project examined ecosystem controls on Southern Ocean carbon export during austral summer (January–February 2007) at three locations: P1 in the low biomass Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) west of Tasmania, P3 in a region of elevated biomass in the SAZ east of Tasmania fuelled by enhanced iron supply, and P2 in High-Nutrient/Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) waters south of P1 and P3. Sinking particles were collected using (i) a cylindrical time-series (PPS3/3) trap for bulk geochemical fluxes, (ii) indented rotating sphere (IRS) traps operated as in-situ settling columns to determine the flux distribution across sinking-rate fractions, and (iii) cylindrical traps filled with polyacrylamide gels to obtain intact particles for image analysis. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux at 150 m (PPS3/3 trap) was highest at P1, lower at P2, and lowest at P3 (3.3±1.8, 2.1±0.9, and 0.9±0.4 mmol m −2 d −1, respectively). Biogenic silica (BSi) flux was very low in the SAZ (0.2±0.2 and 0.02±0.005 mmol m −2 d −1 at P1 and P3, respectively) and much higher in the PFZ (2.3±0.5 mmol m −2 d −1 at P2). Hence, the high biomass site P3 did not exhibit a correspondingly high flux of either POC or BSi. Separation of sinking-rate fractions with the IRS traps (at 170 and 320 m depth) was only successful at the PFZ site P2, where a relatively uniform distribution of flux was observed with ∼1/3 of the POC sinking faster than 100 m d −1 and 1/3 sinking slower than 10 m d −1. Analysis of thousands of particles collected with the gel traps (at 140, 190, 240, and 290 m depth) enabled us to identify 5 different categories: fluff-aggregates (low-density porous or amorphous aggregates), faecal-aggregates (denser aggregates composed of different types of particles), cylindrical and ovoid faecal pellets, and isolated phyto-cells (chains and single cells). Faecal-aggregates dominated the flux at all sites, and were larger in size at P1 in comparison to P3. The PFZ site P2 differed strongly from both SAZ sites in having a much higher abundance of diatoms and relatively small-sized faecal-aggregates. Overall, the particle images suggest that grazing was an important influence on vertical export at all three sites, with differences in the extents of large aggregate formation and direct diatom export further influencing the differences among the sites.

Widespread influence of resuspended sediments on oceanic particulate organic carbon: Insights from radiocarbon and aluminum contents in sinking particles

Particulate organic carbon (POC) in the ocean often exhibits more depleted radiocarbon contents (lower Δ 14C values) than expected if its sole source were POC recently synthesized by primary production and export from the overlying surface waters. An examination of available Δ14C data sets for sinking POC show that this phenomenon is both common and globally widespread. Also, a strong correlation is found to exist between Δ14C values of organic carbon and aluminum content in sinking particles that is consistent over a range of oceanic settings. Together, these findings imply that aged organic carbon associated with lithogenic material from sediment resuspension is responsible for the observed low Δ 14C values as opposed to other processes such as incorporation of dissolved inorganic carbon or dissolved organic carbon into POC at depth. An estimate based on POC flux‐weighted Δ14C values shows that about 35% of sinking POC at the locations studied is derived from resuspended sediment. Our results suggest that resuspension of sediment and its subsequent lateral transport is an important component of the oceanic carbon cycle and should be considered in models of oceanic carbon export and burial.

Direct comparison of 210Po, 234Th and POC particle-size distributions and export fluxes at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site

Particle-reactive, naturally occurring radionuclides are useful tracers of the sinking flux of organic matter from the surface to the deep ocean. Since the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) began in 1987, the disequilibrium between 234Th and its parent 238U has become widely used as a technique to measure particle export fluxes from surface ocean waters. Another radionuclide pair, 210Po and 210Pb, can be used for the same purpose but has not been as widely adopted due to difficulty with accurately constraining the 210Po/ 210Pb radiochemical balance in the ocean and because of the more time-consuming radiochemical procedures. Direct comparison of particle flux estimated in different ocean regions using these short-lived radionuclides is important in evaluating their utility and accuracy as tracers of particle flux. In this paper, we present paired 234Th/ 238U and 210Po/ 210Pb data from oligotrophic surface waters of the subtropical Northwest Atlantic and discuss their advantages and limitations. Vertical profiles of total and particle size-fractionated 210Po and 234Th activities, together with particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations, were measured during three seasons at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site. Both 210Po and 234Th reasonably predict sinking POC flux caught in sediment traps, and each tracer provides unique information about the magnitude and efficiency of the ocean's biological pump.