Variability in photosynthetic production of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Donn A. Viviani; David M. Karl; Matthew J. Church

doi:10.3389/fmars.2015.00073

Variability in photosynthetic production of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Donn A. Viviani
, David M. Karl
, Matthew J. Church

Flathead Lake Biological Station

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The partitioning of photosynthetically-derived organic carbon between particulate and dissolved phases has important implications for marine carbon cycling. In this study we utilized ¹⁴C-bicarbonate assimilation to quantify rates of photosynthetic production of both particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at Station ALOHA (22°45'N, 158°W) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). At near-monthly time scales over ~5 years, we examined retention of ¹⁴C-labeled organic matter by both glass fiber filters and 0.2 μm pore size polycarbonate membrane filters that are commonly used for measurements of ¹⁴C-based plankton productivity. Use of polycarbonate filters resulted in significantly lower (averaging 60%) estimates of ¹⁴C-production compared to glass fiber filters. Coincident measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations from both 0.2 μm polycarbonate and glass fiber filters were not significantly different, suggesting the differences in ¹⁴C-productivity between these filter types did not derive from differences in retention of photosynthetic biomass by these filters. Moreover, consistent with previous studies, results from experiments aimed at quantifying retention of organic matter by these filters suggested differences resulted from retention of DOC by glass fiber filters. We also quantified rates of ¹⁴C-DOC production to evaluate the partitioning of photosynthetic production between dissolved and particulate phases over daily to monthly time scales in this ecosystem. Unlike the strong depth dependence observed in measurements of particulate organic carbon production, measured rates of ¹⁴C-DOC demonstrated no clear depth dependence. On average, depth-integrated (0-75 m) rates of ¹⁴C-DOC production rates were equivalent to 18 ± 10% of the total (particulate and dissolved) productivity. Our findings indicate that in this oligotrophic ecosystem, rates of dissolved and particulate production can be temporally decoupled over daily to monthly time scales.

Original language	English
Article number	73
Journal	Frontiers in Marine Science
Volume	2
Issue number	OCT
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2015.00073
State	Published - 2015

Funding

Funding for this study derived from the National Science Foundation, including grants OCE-0850827 (MJC), OCE-1260164 (MJC and DMK), and EF-0424599 (DMK). Additional support derived from the Simons Foundation via the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE; DMK and MJC) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Marine Microbiology Investigator grant 3794 (DMK). We thank the various scientists and staff of the HOT program for their assistance at sea and in the laboratory. We thank Benedetto Barone for his thoughtful comments that improved this manuscript. We extend our gratitude to the officers and crew of the R/V Kilo Moana and the R/V Kaimikai-o-Kanaloa. Comments by two anonymous reviewers improved the presentation of this work.

Funders	Funder number
OCE-0850827, EF-0424599, 0850827, 1260164, OCE-1260164, 0424599
Simons Foundation
3794

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Dissolved organic carbon
North Pacific Ocean
Primary productivity
Station ALOHA

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10.3389/fmars.2015.00073

Cite this

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title = "Variability in photosynthetic production of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre",

abstract = "The partitioning of photosynthetically-derived organic carbon between particulate and dissolved phases has important implications for marine carbon cycling. In this study we utilized 14C-bicarbonate assimilation to quantify rates of photosynthetic production of both particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at Station ALOHA (22°45'N, 158°W) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). At near-monthly time scales over \textasciitilde{}5 years, we examined retention of 14C-labeled organic matter by both glass fiber filters and 0.2 μm pore size polycarbonate membrane filters that are commonly used for measurements of 14C-based plankton productivity. Use of polycarbonate filters resulted in significantly lower (averaging 60\%) estimates of 14C-production compared to glass fiber filters. Coincident measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations from both 0.2 μm polycarbonate and glass fiber filters were not significantly different, suggesting the differences in 14C-productivity between these filter types did not derive from differences in retention of photosynthetic biomass by these filters. Moreover, consistent with previous studies, results from experiments aimed at quantifying retention of organic matter by these filters suggested differences resulted from retention of DOC by glass fiber filters. We also quantified rates of 14C-DOC production to evaluate the partitioning of photosynthetic production between dissolved and particulate phases over daily to monthly time scales in this ecosystem. Unlike the strong depth dependence observed in measurements of particulate organic carbon production, measured rates of 14C-DOC demonstrated no clear depth dependence. On average, depth-integrated (0-75 m) rates of 14C-DOC production rates were equivalent to 18 ± 10\% of the total (particulate and dissolved) productivity. Our findings indicate that in this oligotrophic ecosystem, rates of dissolved and particulate production can be temporally decoupled over daily to monthly time scales.",

keywords = "Dissolved organic carbon, North Pacific Ocean, Primary productivity, Station ALOHA",

author = "Viviani, \{Donn A.\} and Karl, \{David M.\} and Church, \{Matthew J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Viviani, Karl and Church.",

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doi = "10.3389/fmars.2015.00073",

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AU - Viviani, Donn A.

AU - Karl, David M.

AU - Church, Matthew J.

PY - 2015

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N2 - The partitioning of photosynthetically-derived organic carbon between particulate and dissolved phases has important implications for marine carbon cycling. In this study we utilized 14C-bicarbonate assimilation to quantify rates of photosynthetic production of both particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at Station ALOHA (22°45'N, 158°W) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). At near-monthly time scales over ~5 years, we examined retention of 14C-labeled organic matter by both glass fiber filters and 0.2 μm pore size polycarbonate membrane filters that are commonly used for measurements of 14C-based plankton productivity. Use of polycarbonate filters resulted in significantly lower (averaging 60%) estimates of 14C-production compared to glass fiber filters. Coincident measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations from both 0.2 μm polycarbonate and glass fiber filters were not significantly different, suggesting the differences in 14C-productivity between these filter types did not derive from differences in retention of photosynthetic biomass by these filters. Moreover, consistent with previous studies, results from experiments aimed at quantifying retention of organic matter by these filters suggested differences resulted from retention of DOC by glass fiber filters. We also quantified rates of 14C-DOC production to evaluate the partitioning of photosynthetic production between dissolved and particulate phases over daily to monthly time scales in this ecosystem. Unlike the strong depth dependence observed in measurements of particulate organic carbon production, measured rates of 14C-DOC demonstrated no clear depth dependence. On average, depth-integrated (0-75 m) rates of 14C-DOC production rates were equivalent to 18 ± 10% of the total (particulate and dissolved) productivity. Our findings indicate that in this oligotrophic ecosystem, rates of dissolved and particulate production can be temporally decoupled over daily to monthly time scales.

AB - The partitioning of photosynthetically-derived organic carbon between particulate and dissolved phases has important implications for marine carbon cycling. In this study we utilized 14C-bicarbonate assimilation to quantify rates of photosynthetic production of both particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at Station ALOHA (22°45'N, 158°W) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). At near-monthly time scales over ~5 years, we examined retention of 14C-labeled organic matter by both glass fiber filters and 0.2 μm pore size polycarbonate membrane filters that are commonly used for measurements of 14C-based plankton productivity. Use of polycarbonate filters resulted in significantly lower (averaging 60%) estimates of 14C-production compared to glass fiber filters. Coincident measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations from both 0.2 μm polycarbonate and glass fiber filters were not significantly different, suggesting the differences in 14C-productivity between these filter types did not derive from differences in retention of photosynthetic biomass by these filters. Moreover, consistent with previous studies, results from experiments aimed at quantifying retention of organic matter by these filters suggested differences resulted from retention of DOC by glass fiber filters. We also quantified rates of 14C-DOC production to evaluate the partitioning of photosynthetic production between dissolved and particulate phases over daily to monthly time scales in this ecosystem. Unlike the strong depth dependence observed in measurements of particulate organic carbon production, measured rates of 14C-DOC demonstrated no clear depth dependence. On average, depth-integrated (0-75 m) rates of 14C-DOC production rates were equivalent to 18 ± 10% of the total (particulate and dissolved) productivity. Our findings indicate that in this oligotrophic ecosystem, rates of dissolved and particulate production can be temporally decoupled over daily to monthly time scales.

KW - Dissolved organic carbon

KW - North Pacific Ocean

KW - Primary productivity

KW - Station ALOHA

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DO - 10.3389/fmars.2015.00073

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VL - 2

JO - Frontiers in Marine Science

JF - Frontiers in Marine Science

IS - OCT

M1 - 73

ER -

Variability in photosynthetic production of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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