Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean
The production and fate of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been investigated in various oceanic regions (tropical, temperate, and polar), from the sea surface microlayer (SML) to the deep ocean. Accumulation of TEP within the mixed layer was observed even in the absence of phytoplankton...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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ftolddominionuni:oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:oeas_fac_pubs-1280 2023-06-11T04:09:15+02:00 Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean Wurl, Oliver Miller, Lisa Vagle, Svein 2011-12-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/269 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007342 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/oeas_fac_pubs/article/1280/viewcontent/Wurl_2011_Production_and_fate_of_transparent_e.pdf unknown ODU Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/269 doi:10.1029/2011jc007342 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/oeas_fac_pubs/article/1280/viewcontent/Wurl_2011_Production_and_fate_of_transparent_e.pdf OES Faculty Publications Sea surface microlayer Organic carbon Water column Diatom bloom Phytoplankton Oceanography article 2011 ftolddominionuni https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007342 2023-05-08T18:00:10Z The production and fate of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been investigated in various oceanic regions (tropical, temperate, and polar), from the sea surface microlayer (SML) to the deep ocean. Accumulation of TEP within the mixed layer was observed even in the absence of phytoplankton blooms, indicating abiotic processes are important in TEP production. The abiotic TEP aggregation rates measured in the tropical and temperate North Pacific and the Arctic Ocean averaged between 8 and 12 μmol C L-1 d-1. Depth profiles from under sea ice in the Arctic revealed the highest TEP concentrations, potentially released by sympagic algal activity at the bottom of the sea ice. The aggregation rates in the SML, the interfacial layer between the ocean and atmosphere, were generally enhanced over those in the bulk surface waters by factors of 2 to 30. This finding further strengthens a developing consensus on the gelatinous nature of the SML, which will also affect microbial life, light penetration, and surface wave properties. We present a conceptual model implying that abiotic aggregation is an important factor for TEP production in the ocean, in particular in sea surface microlayers, while consumption by zooplankton and protists recycle TEP, providing a new pool of dissolved precursor material. Overall, TEP is recycled within the water column through heterotrophic grazing and degradation, providing a new pool of TEP precursor materials, while enhanced aggregation rates of TEP in the SML indicates the importance of this thin surface film in the marine carbon cycle. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Phytoplankton Sea ice Zooplankton Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons Arctic Arctic Ocean Pacific Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 116 C7 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons |
op_collection_id |
ftolddominionuni |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Sea surface microlayer Organic carbon Water column Diatom bloom Phytoplankton Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Sea surface microlayer Organic carbon Water column Diatom bloom Phytoplankton Oceanography Wurl, Oliver Miller, Lisa Vagle, Svein Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
topic_facet |
Sea surface microlayer Organic carbon Water column Diatom bloom Phytoplankton Oceanography |
description |
The production and fate of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been investigated in various oceanic regions (tropical, temperate, and polar), from the sea surface microlayer (SML) to the deep ocean. Accumulation of TEP within the mixed layer was observed even in the absence of phytoplankton blooms, indicating abiotic processes are important in TEP production. The abiotic TEP aggregation rates measured in the tropical and temperate North Pacific and the Arctic Ocean averaged between 8 and 12 μmol C L-1 d-1. Depth profiles from under sea ice in the Arctic revealed the highest TEP concentrations, potentially released by sympagic algal activity at the bottom of the sea ice. The aggregation rates in the SML, the interfacial layer between the ocean and atmosphere, were generally enhanced over those in the bulk surface waters by factors of 2 to 30. This finding further strengthens a developing consensus on the gelatinous nature of the SML, which will also affect microbial life, light penetration, and surface wave properties. We present a conceptual model implying that abiotic aggregation is an important factor for TEP production in the ocean, in particular in sea surface microlayers, while consumption by zooplankton and protists recycle TEP, providing a new pool of dissolved precursor material. Overall, TEP is recycled within the water column through heterotrophic grazing and degradation, providing a new pool of TEP precursor materials, while enhanced aggregation rates of TEP in the SML indicates the importance of this thin surface film in the marine carbon cycle. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wurl, Oliver Miller, Lisa Vagle, Svein |
author_facet |
Wurl, Oliver Miller, Lisa Vagle, Svein |
author_sort |
Wurl, Oliver |
title |
Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
title_short |
Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
title_full |
Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Production and Fate of Transparent Exopolymer Particles in the Ocean |
title_sort |
production and fate of transparent exopolymer particles in the ocean |
publisher |
ODU Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/269 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007342 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/oeas_fac_pubs/article/1280/viewcontent/Wurl_2011_Production_and_fate_of_transparent_e.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Pacific |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Phytoplankton Sea ice Zooplankton |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Phytoplankton Sea ice Zooplankton |
op_source |
OES Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/269 doi:10.1029/2011jc007342 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/oeas_fac_pubs/article/1280/viewcontent/Wurl_2011_Production_and_fate_of_transparent_e.pdf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007342 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
116 |
container_issue |
C7 |
_version_ |
1768383017607233536 |