Engel, Anja; Cisternas-Novoa, Carolina; Hauss, Helena; Kiko, Rainer; Le Moigne, Frédéric A C: Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: sediment traps during METEOR cruises M136 and M138 [dataset bundled publication]. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963289 (dataset in review)
Abstract:
In the ocean, downward flux of particles produced in sunlit surface waters is the major component of the biological carbon pump, which sequesters atmospheric carbon dioxide and fuels deep-sea ecosystems. The efficiency of downward carbon transfer is expected to be particularly high in tropical upwelling systems where hypoxia occurring beneath the productive surface waters is thought to hamper particle consumption. However, observations of both particle feeders and carbon export in low-oxygen waters are scarce. Here, we provide evidence that hypoxia-tolerant zooplankton feed on sinking particles in the extensive Oxygen Minimum Zone off Peru. Using several arrays of drifting sediment traps and in situ imaging, we show geochemical and morphological transformations of sinking particles and substantial control of carbon export by zooplankton. Our findings challenge the assumption of a consistently efficient biological carbon pump in OMZs and further demonstrate the need to consider mesopelagic organisms' adaptations when studying oceanic carbon sequestration.
Supplement to:
Engel, Anja; Cisternas-Novoa, Carolina; Hauss, Helena; Kiko, Rainer; Le Moigne, Frédéric A C (in review): Hypoxia-tolerant zooplankton reduce the biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru.
Project(s):
Funding:
German Research Foundation (DFG), grant/award no. 27542298: Climate - Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean
Coverage:
Median Latitude: -13.683052 * Median Longitude: -77.835549 * South-bound Latitude: -16.000000 * West-bound Longitude: -81.005000 * North-bound Latitude: -11.494767 * East-bound Longitude: -74.567000
Date/Time Start: 2017-03-27T05:50:00 * Date/Time End: 2021-04-15T00:00:00
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) (License comes into effect after moratorium ends)
Size:
7 datasets
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Datasets listed in this bundled publication
- Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: carbon fluxes. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963285
- Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: temperature, salinity and oxygen. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963288
- Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: flux coefficients. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963292
- Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: particle quality indicator. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963293
- Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: abundance flux. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963296
- Hauss, H; Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: abundance and biomass. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963308
- Kiko, R; Engel, A (in review): Biological carbon pump efficiency in the Humboldt current system off Peru: zooplankton observations day-night. https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963325