Sebastian Böckmann, Scarlett Trimborn, Hendrik Schubert, Florian Koch
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, the significance of microzooplankton grazing in oceanic carbon cycling has been highlighted with the help of dilution experiments. The ecologically relevant Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) ecosystem in the Southern Ocean (SO), however, has not been well studied. Here we present data from dilution experiments, performed at three stations around the northern tip of the WAP to determine grazing rates of small zooplankton (hetero- and mixotrophic members of the 0.2–200 µm size fraction, SZP) on auto- and heterotrophic members of the < 200 µm plankton community as well as their gross growth. While variable impacts of SZP grazing on carbon cycling were measured, particulate organic carbon, not the traditionally used parameter chlorophyll a, provided the best interpretable results. Our results suggested that heterotrophic picoplankton played a significant role in the carbon turnover at all stations. Finally, a comparison of two stations with diverging characteristics highlights that SZP grazing eliminated 56–119% of gross particulate organic carbon production from the particulate fraction. Thus, SZP grazing eliminated 20–50 times more carbon from the particulate fraction compared to what was exported to depth, therefore significantly affecting the efficiency of the biological carbon pump at these SO sites.
期刊介绍:
Polar Biology publishes Original Papers, Reviews, and Short Notes and is the focal point for biologists working in polar regions. It is also of interest to scientists working in biology in general, ecology and physiology, as well as in oceanography and climatology related to polar life. Polar Biology presents results of studies in plants, animals, and micro-organisms of marine, limnic and terrestrial habitats in polar and subpolar regions of both hemispheres.
Taxonomy/ Biogeography
Life History
Spatio-temporal Patterns in Abundance and Diversity
Ecological Interactions
Trophic Ecology
Ecophysiology/ Biochemistry of Adaptation
Biogeochemical Pathways and Cycles
Ecological Models
Human Impact/ Climate Change/ Conservation