Prokaryotic respiration and production in the meso- and bathypelagic realm of the eastern and western North Atlantic basin

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography
• Main Authors: Reinthaler, Thomas, Aristegui, J., Robinson, Carol, Arístegui, Javier, Lebaron, Philippe, Herndl, Gerhard J., Aken, Hendrik van, Veth, Cornelis
• Other Authors: Aristegui, Javier, Herndl, Gerhard, 8368531200, 7202279291, 6602367033, 7006816204, 23045392200, 57212693280, 7404956954, 7005835035, 7005513845, Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Centro de Centro de Biotecnología Marina, Oceanografía biológica, 1454644, 618266, 2576315, 227201, 769475, 17860243, 206969, 99734, WOS:Reinthaler, T, WOS:van Aken, H, WOS:Veth, C, WOS:Aristegui, J, WOS:Robinson, C, WOS:Williams, PJLR, WOS:Lebaron, P, WOS:Herndl, GJ
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Investigación; Respiración en el océano; Western Basin; NADW; North Atlantic Deep Water; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10553/1199; https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2006.51.3.1262

We measured prokaryotic production and respiration in the major water masses of the North Atlantic down to a depth of 4,000 m by following the progression of the two branches of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) in the oceanic conveyor belt. Prokaryotic abundance decreased exponentially with depth from 3 to 0.4 3 105 cells mL21 in the eastern basin and from 3.6 to 0.3 3 105 cells mL21 in the western basin. Prokaryotic production measured via 3H-leucine incorporation showed a similar pattern to that of prokaryotic abundance and decreased with depth from 9.2 to 1.1 mmol C m23 d21 in the eastern and from 20.6 to 1.2 mmol C m23 d21 in the western basin. Prokaryo tic respiration, measured via oxygen consumption, ranged from about 300 to 60 mmol C m23 d21 from ,100 m depth to the NADW. Prokaryotic growth efficiencies of ,2% in the deep waters (depth range 1,200–4,000 m) indicate that the prokaryotic carbon demand exceeds dissolved organic matter input and surface primary production by 2 orders of magnitude. Cell-specific prokaryotic production was rather constant throughout the water column, ranging from 15 to 32 3 1023 fmol C cell21 d21 in the eastern and from 35 to 58 3 1023 fmol C cell21 d21 in the western basin. Along with increasing cell-specific respiration towards the deep water masses and the relatively short turnover time of the prokaryotic community in the dark ocean (34–54 d), prokaryotic activity in the meso- and bathypelagic North Atlantic might be higher than previously assumed. 1273 1262