Phytoplankton carbon incorporation patterns and biochemical composition of particulate matter in the eastern North Atlantic subtropical region

• Published in: Journal of Plankton Research
• Main Authors: Fernàndez, Emilio, Mara{macron}òn, Emilio, Harbour, Derek S., Pingree, Robin D.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1994
• Subjects: ORIGINAL ARTICLES; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://plankt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/16/12/1627; https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/16.12.1627

Photosynthetic carbon metabolism and the biochemical composition of late-winter phytoplankton assemblages in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean were studied during an oceanographic cruise carried out in March 1992. Enhanced levels of phytoplankton biomass and primary production were linked to the subtropical front-Azores Current (STF/AC) region. High values of the relative incorporation of carbon into proteins indicated that the phytoplankton was growing at a rate close to the maximum growth rate. A very high percentage of carbon was incorporated into the lipid fraction at southern latitudes, whereas incorporation into polysaccharides peaked at the AC. In general, the biochemical composition of particulate matter reflected the observed patterns of photosynthate partitioning. Latitudinal changes in phytoplankton species composition accounted for the geographical variability in 14C labelling patterns. Turnover times of particulate matter estimated for the STF/AC region were relatively low (3–5 days) and suggested balancedgrowth of the microplankton community over daily time scales.