scholarly journals Primary production of protein: II. Algal protein metabolism and its relation to particulate organic matter composition in the surface mixed layer

1987 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 175-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
SE Lohrenz ◽  
CD Taylor ◽  
BL Howes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Protein Metabolism ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Organic Matter Composition

scholarly journals Amino acid composition and <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N of suspended matter in the Arabian Sea: implications for organic matter sources and degradation

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 7689-7702 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gaye ◽  
B. Nagel ◽  
K. Dähnke ◽  
T. Rixen ◽  
N. Lahajnar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Suspended Matter ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer

Abstract. Sedimentation in the ocean is fed by large aggregates produced in the surface mixed layer that sink rapidly through the water column. These particles sampled by sediment traps have often been proposed to interact by disaggregation and scavenging with a pool of fine suspended matter with very slow sinking velocities and thus a long residence time. We investigated the amino acid (AA) composition and stable nitrogen isotopic ratios of suspended matter (SPM) sampled during the late SW monsoon season in the Arabian Sea and compared them to those of sinking particles to understand organic matter degradation/modification during passage through the water column. We found that AA composition of mixed layer suspended matter corresponds more to fresh plankton and their aggregates, whereas AA composition of SPM in the sub-thermocline water column deviated progressively from mixed layer composition. We conclude that suspended matter in deep waters and in the mixed layers of oligotrophic stations is dominated by fine material that has a long residence time and organic matter that is resistant to degradation. SPM in areas of high primary productivity is essentially derived from fresh plankton and thus has a strong imprint of the subsurface nitrate source, whereas SPM at oligotrophic stations and at subthermocline depths appears to exchange amino acids and nitrogen isotopes with the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool influencing also the δ15N values.

Pelagic primary production in the Coral and southern Solomon Seas

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Furnas ◽  
AW Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
Central Basin ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Western Margin ◽  
Coral Sea

Phytoplankton primary production was measured around the periphery of the Coral Sea during October 1985 and in the boundary current systems bordering the northern Australian Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Papuan Barrier Reef (PBR) during October 1985 and June-July 1988. Under strong wind conditions (mean winds 8-12 m s-1), the north-western Papuan Barrier Reef region was characterized by a shallow surface mixed layer, shallow nutriclines (25-75 m) and shallow subsurface chlorophyll maxima. Under low wind stress conditions (mean winds <5 m s-1), the southern and western Coral Sea were also characterized by a shallow surface mixed layer and stable underlying density profiles but deep (>I00 m) nutriclines and deep (60-125 m) subsurface chlorophyll and primary production maxima. Regardless of location, most primary production occurred above the 20% mid-day isolume surface. Phytoplankton standing crop and primary production in all regions were dominated by picoplankton (<2 μm size fraction). Very high primary production rates (1-3 g C m-2 day-1) were measured at a number of stations adjacent to the western margin of the PBR and within the central basin of the Louisiade Archipelago. Evidence for upwelling along the western margin of the PBR was observed under both north-easterly (normal to the reef axis) and south-easterly (parallel to the reef axis) wind regimes; however, surface outcropping of upwelled water did not occur. Oceanic primary production in the Coral Sea is estimated to be between 100 and 200 g C m-2 year-1. Primary production in and around the Louisiade Archipelago appears to be on the order of 200-300 g C m-2 year-1. Near-surface chlorophyll standing crop was generally better correlated with near-surface primary production than was total chlorophyll with total areal primary production.

scholarly journals Influence of anticyclonic eddies on the Biogeochemistry from the Oligotrophic to the Ultraoligotrophic Mediterranean (BOUM cruise)

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3827-3855 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Moutin ◽  
L. Prieur
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Strong Mixing ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Oxygen Utilization ◽  
Trophic Conditions ◽  
N Input ◽  
Anticyclonic Eddies

Abstract. We studied a longitudinal transect in the Mediterranean Sea (MS) and along this transect, the influence of anticyclonic eddies at three long duration (LD) stations. The deep chlorophyll maximum depth, the euphotic layer depth and the top of the nitracline depth are clearly correlated outside of the eddies, and deepen from the oligotrophic western to the ultraoligotrophic eastern MS. We provide evidence that the locations of the three LD stations studied were near the axis of the eddies. Their diameters were close to 100 km and the studied areas were less than 10 km from the centre of the eddies. The positions of the LD stations are marked by an increase in the flux function and a decrease in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and in excess density σ), as expected for anticyclonic eddies. Integrated mean primary production measured in situ inside the three studied eddies confirms the previous conclusion that integrated primary production (IPP) about 150 mgC m−2 d−1 may appear as a lower limit for IPP during strong oligotrophic conditions. The mesoscale activity is strong enough to locally modify the very well-documented western-to-eastern gradient of trophic conditions in the MS. We proposed a new calculation for mixed layer depths (MLDs) enabling the determination of MLD to take into consideration processes occurring with time scales ranging from a few hours to several days, and also the winter MLD. Studying the main physical, chemical and dynamical characteristics of the three eddies enables us to consider that the vorticity barrier prevents any strong mixing and advection of outer water inside the eddy and explains why the depth range of eddies starts from the surface. As a first approximation, the anticyclonic eddies could be considered as closed systems dating back to the previous winter, making possible to draw first-order budgets. The daily new N-input in the photic zone is virtually identical to the N-export measured at 230 m by drifting traps. This means that the eddies are close to an equilibrium state where input is equal to loss. The annual N-input by winter convection, which is a fundamental criterion for new nutrient availability, may be extremely variable inside eddies, with W-MLD varying from 90.5 m at the western station to 396.5 m at the eastern station. W-MLDs are always deeper inside the eddies than outside where they are in keeping with climatological averages. AOU was low inside the eddies; this together with the near-identical export measured at 230 and 460 m seems to indicate that eddy cores are areas where low mineralisation of particulate organic matter occurs. "In" and "out" AOU comparisons indicate lower mineralisation inside the eddies suggesting a higher efficiency for CO2 sequestration via sedimentation of particulate organic matter. The three eddies are enriched in dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Sequestration of CO2 by vertical export of accumulated DOC therefore seems to be higher inside eddies. The relative importance of DOC transport in the biological pump is probably one of the main characteristics of low-P low chlorophyll (LPLC) areas, and it is likely to be reinforced inside anticyclonic eddies. The numerous anticyclonic eddies in the MS are likely to influence the water masses and their dispersion, and therefore have a strong impact on the biogeochemical properties at the scale of the MS.

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