Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death
The potential for preservation of thecosome pteropods is thought to be largely governed by the chemical stability of their delicate aragonitic shells in seawater. However, sediment trap studies have found that significant carbonate dissolution can occur above the carbonate saturation horizon. Here w...
Published in: | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
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2019
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/1/Oakes_et_al-2019-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GB006223 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:523332 2023-05-15T18:16:00+02:00 Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death Oakes, R.L. Peck, V.L. Manno, C. Bralower, T.J. 2019-07-10 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/1/Oakes_et_al-2019-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GB006223 en eng https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/1/Oakes_et_al-2019-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf Oakes, R.L.; Peck, V.L. orcid:0000-0002-7948-6853 Manno, C. orcid:0000-0002-3337-6173 Bralower, T.J. 2019 Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 33. 749-760. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2019 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223 2023-02-04T19:48:22Z The potential for preservation of thecosome pteropods is thought to be largely governed by the chemical stability of their delicate aragonitic shells in seawater. However, sediment trap studies have found that significant carbonate dissolution can occur above the carbonate saturation horizon. Here we present the results from experiments conducted on two cruises to the Scotia Sea to directly test whether the breakdown of the organic pteropod body influences shell dissolution. We find that, on the timescales of three to thirteen days, the oxidation of organic matter within the shells of dead pteropods is a stronger driver of shell dissolution than the saturation state of seawater. Three to four days after death, shells became milky white and nano‐SEM images reveal smoothing of internal surface features and increased shell porosity, both indicative of aragonite dissolution. These findings have implications for the interpretation of the condition of pteropod shells from sediment traps and the fossil record, as well as for understanding the processes controlling particulate carbonate export from the surface ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Scotia Sea Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Scotia Sea Global Biogeochemical Cycles 33 6 749 760 |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
The potential for preservation of thecosome pteropods is thought to be largely governed by the chemical stability of their delicate aragonitic shells in seawater. However, sediment trap studies have found that significant carbonate dissolution can occur above the carbonate saturation horizon. Here we present the results from experiments conducted on two cruises to the Scotia Sea to directly test whether the breakdown of the organic pteropod body influences shell dissolution. We find that, on the timescales of three to thirteen days, the oxidation of organic matter within the shells of dead pteropods is a stronger driver of shell dissolution than the saturation state of seawater. Three to four days after death, shells became milky white and nano‐SEM images reveal smoothing of internal surface features and increased shell porosity, both indicative of aragonite dissolution. These findings have implications for the interpretation of the condition of pteropod shells from sediment traps and the fossil record, as well as for understanding the processes controlling particulate carbonate export from the surface ocean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Oakes, R.L. Peck, V.L. Manno, C. Bralower, T.J. |
spellingShingle |
Oakes, R.L. Peck, V.L. Manno, C. Bralower, T.J. Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
author_facet |
Oakes, R.L. Peck, V.L. Manno, C. Bralower, T.J. |
author_sort |
Oakes, R.L. |
title |
Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
title_short |
Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
title_full |
Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
title_fullStr |
Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
title_full_unstemmed |
Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
title_sort |
degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/1/Oakes_et_al-2019-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GB006223 |
geographic |
Scotia Sea |
geographic_facet |
Scotia Sea |
genre |
Scotia Sea |
genre_facet |
Scotia Sea |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523332/1/Oakes_et_al-2019-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf Oakes, R.L.; Peck, V.L. orcid:0000-0002-7948-6853 Manno, C. orcid:0000-0002-3337-6173 Bralower, T.J. 2019 Degradation of internal organic matter is the main control on pteropod shell dissolution after death. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 33. 749-760. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006223 |
container_title |
Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
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33 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
749 |
op_container_end_page |
760 |
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1766189413292834816 |