Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline
Optical instruments can rapidly determine numbers and characteristics of water column particles with high sensitivity. Here we show the usefulness of optically assessed total particle volume below the main pycnocline to estimate carbon export in two systems: the open subarctic North Atlantic and the...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 https://doaj.org/article/38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 2023-05-15T13:41:31+02:00 Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline Alexander B. Bochdansky Robert B. Dunbar Dennis A. Hansell Gerhard J. Herndl 2019-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 https://doaj.org/article/38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 https://doaj.org/article/38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 6 (2019) biological pump particle flux Antarctica Atlantic carbon export Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 2022-12-31T02:25:41Z Optical instruments can rapidly determine numbers and characteristics of water column particles with high sensitivity. Here we show the usefulness of optically assessed total particle volume below the main pycnocline to estimate carbon export in two systems: the open subarctic North Atlantic and the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Both regions exhibit seasonally high phytoplankton production and efficient export (i.e., a strong biological pump). Total particle volumes in the mesopelagic (200–300 m) were significantly correlated with those in the overlying surface mixed layer (50–60 m), indicating that most particles at depth reflect export from the surface. This connectivity, however, is modulated by the physical structure of the water column and by particle type (e.g., the presence of colonies of the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica versus diatoms). Evidence from both regions show that a strong pycnocline can delay or may even prevent particles from settling to deeper layers, which then succumb to disintegration, and microbial and zooplankton consumption. Strong katabatic winds in the Ross Sea may deepen the mixed layer, causing a rapid transfer of particles to mesopelagic depths through the mixed-layer pump. Independent estimates of seasonally integrated export production in the Ross Sea, based on upper water column carbon mass balance, were significantly correlated (in the order of shared variance) with (1) total particle volumes from images, (2) particulate organic carbon, and (3) chlorophyll fluorescence, all recorded at a depth range of 200–300 m. Carbon export was not significantly correlated with particle abundance measured by a Coulter counter at the same depth range. Measuring total particle volume below the primary pycnocline is therefore a useful approach to estimate carbon export at least in regions characterized by seasonally high particle export. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica North Atlantic Ross Sea Subarctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ross Sea Coulter ENVELOPE(-58.033,-58.033,-83.283,-83.283) Frontiers in Marine Science 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
biological pump particle flux Antarctica Atlantic carbon export Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
biological pump particle flux Antarctica Atlantic carbon export Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Alexander B. Bochdansky Robert B. Dunbar Dennis A. Hansell Gerhard J. Herndl Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
topic_facet |
biological pump particle flux Antarctica Atlantic carbon export Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Optical instruments can rapidly determine numbers and characteristics of water column particles with high sensitivity. Here we show the usefulness of optically assessed total particle volume below the main pycnocline to estimate carbon export in two systems: the open subarctic North Atlantic and the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Both regions exhibit seasonally high phytoplankton production and efficient export (i.e., a strong biological pump). Total particle volumes in the mesopelagic (200–300 m) were significantly correlated with those in the overlying surface mixed layer (50–60 m), indicating that most particles at depth reflect export from the surface. This connectivity, however, is modulated by the physical structure of the water column and by particle type (e.g., the presence of colonies of the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica versus diatoms). Evidence from both regions show that a strong pycnocline can delay or may even prevent particles from settling to deeper layers, which then succumb to disintegration, and microbial and zooplankton consumption. Strong katabatic winds in the Ross Sea may deepen the mixed layer, causing a rapid transfer of particles to mesopelagic depths through the mixed-layer pump. Independent estimates of seasonally integrated export production in the Ross Sea, based on upper water column carbon mass balance, were significantly correlated (in the order of shared variance) with (1) total particle volumes from images, (2) particulate organic carbon, and (3) chlorophyll fluorescence, all recorded at a depth range of 200–300 m. Carbon export was not significantly correlated with particle abundance measured by a Coulter counter at the same depth range. Measuring total particle volume below the primary pycnocline is therefore a useful approach to estimate carbon export at least in regions characterized by seasonally high particle export. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Alexander B. Bochdansky Robert B. Dunbar Dennis A. Hansell Gerhard J. Herndl |
author_facet |
Alexander B. Bochdansky Robert B. Dunbar Dennis A. Hansell Gerhard J. Herndl |
author_sort |
Alexander B. Bochdansky |
title |
Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
title_short |
Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
title_full |
Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
title_fullStr |
Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline |
title_sort |
estimating carbon flux from optically recording total particle volume at depths below the primary pycnocline |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 https://doaj.org/article/38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-58.033,-58.033,-83.283,-83.283) |
geographic |
Ross Sea Coulter |
geographic_facet |
Ross Sea Coulter |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica North Atlantic Ross Sea Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica North Atlantic Ross Sea Subarctic |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 6 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 https://doaj.org/article/38f8753a8b164cd99d8567dac1f8cae0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00778 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
6 |
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1766151704750850048 |