Respiration in the dark ocean

The dark ocean, the waters below 200 m depth, comprises about 95% of the volume of the ocean, but its contribution to the metabolism of the ocean is poorly quantified. Here we show that the respiration rate of microplankton declines exponentially at a rate of 0.53 km−1 in the dark ocean, and is enha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Arístegui, Javier, Agustí, Susana, Duarte, Carlos M.
Other Authors: Aristegui, Javier, Agusti, Susana, Duarte, Carlos M, 7006816204, 7003718000, 55636631300, 227201, 160347, 20777, WOS:Aristegui, J, WOS:Agusti, S, WOS:Duarte, CM, BU-BAS
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
251001 Oceanografía biológica
Water-Column
Northeast Atlantic
Organic-Matter
Sargasso Sea
Ets Activity
Carbon
Remineralization
Flux
Plankton
Balance
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10553/12765
https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016227
Description
Summary:The dark ocean, the waters below 200 m depth, comprises about 95% of the volume of the ocean, but its contribution to the metabolism of the ocean is poorly quantified. Here we show that the respiration rate of microplankton declines exponentially at a rate of 0.53 km−1 in the dark ocean, and is enhanced at the interface between the mesopelagic and the abyssal layers (1,000-2,000 m). The respiratory CO2 production in the dark ocean, estimated at 20 to 33.3 Gt C yr−1, renders it a major component of the carbon flux in the biosphere. 2,422 Q1 SCIE

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