Coulometric total carbon dioxide analysis for marine studies: Automation and calibration

An automated instrument for the coulometric detection of total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) was developed from the manual prototype of Johnson et al. Pure CO₂ was used to calibrate the detector, the whole analytical procedure was controlled by a microcomputer, and the unit was compact enough for field and shipboard use. Some 67 samples from the Askö field station on the Baltic Sea (salinity = 6; TCO₂ ranging from 1224.3 to 1276.1 μmol l⁻¹ with a mean of 1245.6 μmol l⁻¹) and 31 samples from Swedish lakes (TCO₂ ranging from 19.5 to 252.3 μmol l⁻¹ with a mean of 72.9 μmol l⁻¹) were analyzed. The pooled standard deviation of these analyses was ± 1.0 μmol l⁻¹ (% CV of 0.08 and 1.3%, respectively). Precisions of < 0.1% were routine for waters exceeding 1000 μmol l⁻¹ TCO₂. At Askö on the Baltic Sea, the mean absolute difference between coulometric and pH-alkalinity determinations of TCO₂ on 22 parallel samples was 6.7 μmol kg⁻¹ or 0.5% of the mean. Community metabolism studies gave maximum rates of net production (TCO₂ uptake) and respiration (TCO₂ production) of 0.9-1.2 and 0.3-0.5 μmol l⁻¹ b⁻¹, respectively. The results of this study provide solutions to the problems observed with the earlier manual prototype.     

The distribution of the carbonate parameters in the waters of Anadyr Bay of the Bering Sea and in the western part of the Chukchi Sea

The distribution of the total alkalinity (TA), the total inorganic carbon (TCO₂), the calcium (Ca), and the CO₂ partial pressure in the waters of the northwestern Bering Sea (Anadyr Bay) and in the western part of the Chukchi Sea is considered according to the data obtained in August–September 2002. It is shown that the areas treated were sinks of atmospheric CO₂ in the summer of 2002: the total CO₂ exchange between the atmosphere and the seawater was equal to about −20 mmol C/(m² day). The net community production according to the TCO₂ decrease in the upper photic layer in the west of the Chukchi Sea and in the Anadyr Bay waters amounted to 48 ± 12 and 72 ± 18 g C/(m² year), respectively. The comparison with historical data allows one to tell about the pronounced increase of the TCO₂, TA, and Ca concentrations in the waters of Anadyr Bay and in the western part of the Chukchi Sea in the summer 2002. The processes that might have caused the changes observed are the enrichment of the estuarine waters in marine salts under the ice formation in winter and the decrease of the supply of the waters of the Bering Slope Current to the northwestern part of the Bering Sea.     

Determination of volatile fatty acid turnover rates in organic-rich marine sediments

Volatile fatty acid (VFA) apparent turnover rates in organic-rich marine sediments were determined by measuring whole sediment VFA concentration and the corresponding first-order reaction rate constants. In order to measure VFA concentrations, bulk wet sediment samples were basified, freeze-dried, extracted with methanol, derivatized to form methyl esters of the VFAs, and analyzed by packed-column gas chromatography using hexanoic acid as an internal standard. The detection limits for acetate, propionate, iso-butyrate and butyrate were 1.0, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.2 μmol l^?1_s, respectively, for 600 ml samples. Rate constants for acetate and propionate were determined by anaerobically incubating samples at in-situ temperatures with tracer levels of ¹⁴C-labelled VFAs. Metabolized label was recovered as CO₂, CH₄, cellular material, water-soluble material, and VFA (ether-soluble) fractions. Apparent turnover rates measured during summer and winter in anoxic Cape Lookout Bight, North Carolina (U.S.A.) sediments were in the range of 19–330 μmol l^?1_s h^?1 for acetate and 0.7–7.0 μmol l^?1_s h^?1 for propionate.     

Interpolation of TC02 data on a 1° × 1° grid throughout the water column below 500 m depth in the Atlantic Ocean

We have combined the available total CO₂, temperature, salinity and oxygen data from the TTO, SAVE and WOCE programs in the Atlantic Ocean to parameterize TCO₂ below 500 m depth as a function of potential temperature, salinity and apparent oxygen utilization. We then use the Levitus data set of temperature, salinity and oxygen to compute the TCO₂ profiles at the resolution of the Levitus data set on a 1° × 1° grid with a vertical resolution of 33 layers, more densely spaced in the upper 1500 m than below. Depending on the method used to interpolate the data (along isopycnals or vertically by station), the estimated random uncertainty of the computed TC0₂ values in the Atlantic Ocean throughout the water column below the wintertime mixed layer depth ranges from ± 7.1 μmol kg⁻¹ to t 5.9 μmol kg⁻¹.     

An autonomous instrument for time series analysis of TCO2 from oceanographic moorings

The design and testing of a robotic analyzer for autonomous TCO₂ measurement from oceanographic moorings is described. The analyzer employs a conductimetric method of TCO₂ measurement wherein CO₂ from an acidified sample diffuses across a semi-permeable membrane into a NaOH solution decreasing the conductivity of the base. The instrument is capable of ～850 analyses over a period of at least six months. It is designed to operate to depths of at least 1000 m. TCO₂ calibration is based on in situ standardization throughout a deployment.We report both laboratory and in situ tests of the analyzer. In the laboratory automated analyses over a period of 38 days at temperatures ranging from 8° to 25 °C yielded a TCO₂ accuracy and precision of ±2.7 μmol/kg. In situ tests were conducted at the WHOI dock with a deployment of 8 weeks at in situ temperatures of 5°–13 °C. The accuracy and precision of TCO₂ analyses over the deployment period, based on in situ calibration, was ±3.6 μmol/kg.Laboratory tests of reagent and standard solution stability are also reported. Standards, based on Certified Reference Material were followed for periods of up to 2 years. In all cases TCO₂ increased. Drift of the standards was the equivalent of ～1 to 3 μmol/kg per 6 months. The conductivity indicator solution was found to be stable for at least 2 months.     

Increase of carbon dioxide in the bottom water of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

High precision total CO₂ (TCO₂) data are presented from the NW Weddell Sea obtained during two cruises which were 3 years apart. A TCO₂ increase from 1993 to 1996 was observed in the newly formed bottom water, whereas no TCO₂ increase was found in the surrounding water masses. Accompanying this TCO₂ increase in the bottom water was an oxygen decrease. Obviously, bottom water with variable characteristics is produced along the margins of the Weddell Sea. Examination of possible causes leads to the conclusion that the bottom water variability is largely due to varying amounts of Warm Deep Water intruding onto the shelves of the Weddell Sea, thus changing the shelf water end-member of bottom water formation. Analysis of the data, using the observed differences of oxygen to perform a correction, suggested that some part of the TCO₂ increase of the bottom water is due to the increased level of anthropogenic CO₂. The TCO₂ increase of the bottom water is commensurate to a tentative annual increase of about 1 μmol kg⁻¹ in the surface water source of this bottom water. This would agree fairly well with the increase of the partial pressure of CO₂ in the atmosphere.     

A colorimetric procedure for the determination of aldehydes in seawater and in cultures of methylotrophic bacteria

A spectrophotometric procedure for the determination of aldehydes was optimized for use in seawater, it involves the sequential reaction of aldehydes with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride (MBTH) and FeCl₃ to produce a colored compound which is soluble in 50% acetone. The standard curve obeyed Beer's law to 90 μM formaldehyde in 0.7 m NaCl. The molar absorptivity of 21 800 absorbance units μM^?1 cm^?1 at 635 nm was not affected by changes in salinity. The limit of detection was 180 nM HCHO l^?1 when a pathlength of 1 cm was used, and 72 nM HCHO l^?1 when a pathlength of 5 cm was used.The MBTH procedure was used to compare formaldehyde production in cultures of the marine methanotroph, Methylomonas pelagica, growing on methane or methanol. The average rate of formaldehyde production, normalized to cell number, was almost 20 times greater in cultures grown on methanol than in cultures grown on methane.A depth profile of aldehyde concentrations from a station in the Peru upwelling region (10°S, 79°W) showed one peak in the oxygen gradient in the photic zone (80 m), two in the oxygen minimum (200 and 300 m), and one in the oxygen gradient below the minimum (800m). Aldehyde concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 8.8 μM formaldehyde equivalents l^?1. Except for the maxima where the aldehydes account for 13–15% of expected DOC concentrations, the background level of aldehydes was approximately 1% of DOC.     

Waters of the western springs catchment,Auckland

Abstract

Aquifers occur in basalt deposits infilling valleys in the Western Springs catchment of Auckland City, and they discharge into small streams incised along the edges of major lava flows. Total run‐off from the area is >0.261 m³·s^?1. Analyses by standard methods of twelve subsurface and surface waters show that flowing groundwaters have a low level of pollution (dissolved oxygen x = 7.6 mg·l^?1, abuminoid nitrogen x = 0.038 mg·l^?1, and total solids x = 188 mg·l^?1). Surface waters and stagnant groundwater have high, but varying levels of biological activity. Although much of the dissolved solid content of all the waters (e.g., Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SiO₂) is consistent with the chemistry of the rocks of the catchment, particularly the glassy volcanic tuffs, for surface waters various sources of pollution also make significant contributions (e.g., leaking sewers, sewage overflows, combustion of fossil fuels, fertilisers, zoo animals). Apart from its iron level, the moderate volume (～.0.13 m³·s^?1) of flowing groundwater is of suitable quality for domestic, industrial and irrigation needs.     

Changes in biomass structure and trophic status of the plankton communities in a highly dynamic ecosystem (Gulf of Venice,Northern Adriatic Sea)

The changes in the plankton biomass structure in relation to nutrient inputs were studied in the Gulf of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea), an area characterized by a very marked trophic state variability. The investigation was carried out at two stations, in March, May and July 2005 and 2006, considering the whole water column. The size structure (from picoplankton to mesozooplankton) of both autotrophs and heterotrophs was analysed. Signals of diluted waters and nutrient inputs were more marked in 2005 than in 2006. In 2005, the total plankton biomass was almost double (87 ± 37 μg·C·l^?1) that in 2006 (44 ± 26 μg·C·l^?1). The variations were determined mainly by phytoplankton, with a 70% decrease, and a shift from a community dominated by microphytoplankton (49 ± 12%) in 2005 to one dominated by bacteria (43 ± 11%) in 2006 was observed. The relationship between the heterotrophic (H) and autotrophic (A) biomass indicated a rapid decline of the H/A ratio with increasing phytoplankton biomass. This study, although temporally limited, is consistent with the results reported for other marine environments and it seems to confirm the importance of nutrient inputs in structuring the biomass of plankton community.     

Influence of water column dynamics on sulfide oxidation and other major biogeochemical processes in the chemocline of Mariager Fjord (Denmark)

Major electron donors (H₂S, NH₄⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺) and acceptors (O₂, NO₃⁻, Mn(IV), Fe(III)), process rates (³⁵SO₄²⁻ reduction, dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation) and vertical fluxes were investigated to quantify the dominant biogeochemical processes at the chemocline of a shallow brackish fjord. Under steady-state conditions, the upward fluxes of reductants and downward fluxes of oxidants in the water column were balanced. However, changes in the hydrographical conditions caused a transient nonsteady-state at the chemocline and had a great impact on process rates and the distribution of chemical species. Maxima of S⁰ (17.8 μmol l⁻¹), thiosulfate (5.2 μmol l⁻¹) and sulfite (1.1 μmol l⁻¹) occurred at the chemocline, but were hardly detectable in the sulfidic deep water. The distribution of S⁰ suggested that the high concentration of S⁰ was (a) more likely due to a low turnover than a high formation rate and (b) was only transient, caused by chemocline perturbations. Kinetic calculations of chemical sulfide oxidation based on actual conditions in the chemocline revealed that under steady-state conditions with a narrow chemocline and low reactant concentrations, biological sulfide oxidation may account for more than 88% of the total sulfide oxidation. Under nonsteady-state conditions, where oxic and sulfidic water masses were recently mixed, resulting in an expanded chemocline, the proportion of chemical sulfide oxidation increased. The sulfide oxidation rate determined by incubation experiments was 0.216 μmol l⁻¹ min⁻¹, one of the highest reported for stratified basins and about 15 times faster than the initial rate for chemical oxidation. The conclusion of primarily biological sulfide oxidation was consistent with the observation of high rates of dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation (10.4 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹) in the lower part of the chemocline. However, rates of dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation were too high to be explained only by lithoautotrophic processes. CO₂ fixation by growing populations of heterotrophic microorganisms may have additionally contributed to the observed rates.     

The reliability of the thermodynamic constants for the dissociation of carbonic acid in seawater

Laboratory measurements of all four CO₂ parameters [f_CO2 ( = fugacity of CO₂), pH, TCO₂ ( = total dissolved inorganic carbon), and TA ( = total alkalinity)] were made on the same sample of Gulf Stream seawater (S = 35) as a function of temperature (5–35 °C) and the ratio of TA/TCO₂ (X) (1.0–1.2). Overall the measurements were consistent to ±8 μ atm in f_CO2, ± 0.004 in pH, ± 3 μ mol kg⁻¹ in TCO₂, and ± 3 μ mol kg⁻¹ in TA with the thermodynamic constants of Goyet and Poisson (1989), Roy et al. (1993), and Millero (1995). Deviations between the measured pH, TCO₂, TA and those calculated from various input combinations increase with increasing X when the same constants are used. This trend in the deviations indicates that the uncertainties in pK₂ become important with increasing X (surface waters), but are negligible for samples with the lower X (deep waters). This trend is < 5 μ mol kg⁻¹ when the pK₂ values of Lee and Millero (1995) are used.The overall probable error of the calculated f_CO2 due to uncertainties in the accuracy of the parameters (pH, TCO₂, TA, pK₀, pk₁, and pK₂) is ± 1.2%, which is similar to the differences between the measured values and those calculated using the thermodynamic constants of Millero (1995).The calculated values of pK₁, (from f_CO2-TCO₂-TA) agree to within ± 0.004 compared to the results of Dickson and Millero (1987), Goyet and Poisson (1989), Roy et al. (1993), and Millero (1995) over the same experimental conditions. The calculated values of pK₂ (from pH-TCO₂-TA) are in good agreement (± 0.004) with the results of Lee and Millero (1995) and also in reasonable agreement (± 0.008) with the results of Goyet and Poisson (1989), Roy et al. (1993), and Millero (1995). The salinity dependence of our derived values of pK₁ and pK₂, (S = 35) can be estimated using the equations determined by Millero (1995).     

Particulate organic matter in the coastal and estuarine waters of Goa and its relationship with phytoplankton production

In the coastal and estuarine waters of Goa, particulate organic carbon (POC) varied from 0.52 to 2.51 mg l^?1 and from 0.28 to 5.24 mg l^?1 and particulate phosphorus (PP) varied from 0.71 to 5.18 μg l^?1 and from 0.78 to 20.34 μg l^?1, respectively. The mean values of chlorophyll and primary productivity were 1.94 mg m^?3 and 938.1 mg C m^?2 day^?1 in the coastal waters and 4.3 mg m^?3 and 636.5 mg C m^?1 day^?1 in the estuarine waters, respectively.$\text{POC}\text{chl}$ ratios were low in June and October even when POC values were quite high. The POC in surface waters was linearly correlated with the chlorophyll content. Also PP increased when chlorophyll and primary productivity remained high. The results suggest that the phytoplankton was sharply increasing and contributed to POC and PP content. The percentage of detritus calculated from the intercept values of chlorophyll on POC varied from 46 to 76% depending on season. Results indicate that the major portion of POC and PP during postmonsoon (October–January) is derived from phytoplankton production while the allochthonous matter predominate during monsoon (June–September).     

Plankton carbon metabolism and air–water CO2 fluxes at a hypereutrophic tropical estuary

Multiple biotic and abiotic drivers regulate the balance between CO₂ assimilation and release in surface waters. In the present study, we compared in situ measurements of plankton carbon metabolism (primary production and respiration) to calculated air–water CO₂ fluxes (based on abiotic parameters) during 1 year (2008) in a hypereutrophic tropical estuary (Recife Harbor, NE Brazil – 08°03′S, 34°52′W) to test the hypothesis that high productivity leads to a net CO₂ flux from the atmosphere. The calculated CO₂ fluxes through the air–water interface (FCO₂) were negative throughout the year (FCO₂: –2 to –9 mmol C·m^?2·day^?1), indicating that Recife Harbor is an atmospheric CO₂ sink. Respiration rates of the plankton community ranged from 2 to 45 mmol C·m^?2·hr^?1. Gross primary production ranged from 0.2 to 281 mmol C·m^?2·hr^?1, exceeding respiration during most of the year (net autotrophy), except for the end of the wet season, when the water column was net heterotrophic. The present results highlight the importance of including eutrophic tropical shallow estuaries in global air–water CO₂ flux studies, in order to better understand their role as a sink of atmospheric CO₂.     

Accumulation of Zn,Cu and Cd by crabs and barnacles

The crab Carcinus maenas (L.) and the barnacle Elminius modestus Darwin were exposed to a range of dissolved concentrations of Zn, Cu and Cd for 21 days in artificial seawater. Accumulation of Zn and Cu by crabs has been interpreted in terms of the presence of a regulation mechanism to maintain constant body concentrations (83·2 ± 19·4 μg Zn g^?1 dry wt.; 39·8 ± 9·8 μg Cu g^?1 dry wt.) under varying external dissolved metal levels, until a threshold dissolved metal concentration (c. 400 μg Zn l^?1; c. 170 μg Cu l^?1) beyond which net accumulation of metal begins. Cadium appears to be accumulated by C. maenas at all exposures with no evidence for regulation of body cadmium concentrations. Exposure of E. modestus to Zn, Cu or Cd caused net accumulation of the respective metal in the bodies of the barnacles, with no evidence for regulation of body metal concentrations.     

Comparison of carbonate parameters and air–sea CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> flux in the southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea during spring and summer of 2011

In this work, we examined the carbonate parameters, i.e. total alkalinity (TA), pH, and partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂), and the air–sea CO₂ flux (FCO₂) in the continental shelves of the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and East China Sea (ECS), based on two field surveys conducted in April and August of 2011. Surface pCO₂ showed significant spatial variations, ranging from 246 to 686 µatm in spring (average ± standard deviation = 379 ± 95 µatm) and from 178 to 680 µatm in summer (384 ± 114 µatm). During the spring cruise, the central SYS (pCO₂ < 240 µatm) and the Changjiang estuary (pCO₂ < 300 µatm) were under-saturated with CO₂, while the southern SYS and the southwestern ECS were supersaturated (pCO₂ = 420–680 µatm). In summer, however, the CO₂-supersaturated waters (pCO₂ = 380–680 µatm) occupied a relatively wide area, including the nearshore of the SYS and the Changjiang estuary, whereas pCO₂-deficient water (pCO₂ = 220–380 µatm) was observed only at the offshore ECS. In general, the entire SYS and ECS area behaved as a sustained CO₂ sink, with average FCO₂ of ?3.9 and ?2.1 mmol m^?2 d^?1 in spring and summer, respectively. Phytoplankton production was the driving force for CO₂ absorption, especially during the spring cruise. In addition, we found that typical water mixing processes and decomposition of terrestrial material were responsible for the release of CO₂ in three turbidity maximum regions.     

Increase in anthropogenic CO2 in the Atlantic Ocean in the last two decades

Data from the first systematic survey of inorganic carbon parameters on a global scale, the GEOSECS program, are compared with those collected during WOCE/JGOFS to study the changes in carbon and other geochemical properties, and anthropogenic CO₂ increase in the Atlantic Ocean from the 1970s to the early 1990s. This first data-based estimate of CO₂ increase over this period was accomplished by adjusting the GEOSECS data set to be consistent with recent high-quality carbon data. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and extended Multiple Linear Regression (eMLR) analyses to these carbon data are applied by regressing DIC with potential temperature, salinity, AOU, silica, and PO₄ in three latitudinal regions for the western and eastern basins in the Atlantic Ocean. The results from MLR (and eMLR provided in parentheses) indicate that the mean anthropogenic CO₂ uptake rate in the western basin is 0.70 (0.53) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the region north of 15°N; 0.53 (0.36) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the equatorial region between 15°N and 15°S; and 0.83 (0.35) mol m^?2 yr^?1 in the South Atlantic south of 15°S. For the eastern basin an estimate of 0.57 (0.45) mol m^?2 yr^?1 is obtained for the equatorial region, and 0.28 (0.34) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the South Atlantic south of 15°S. The results of using eMLR are systematically lower than those from MLR method in the western basin. The anthropogenic CO₂ increase is also estimated in the upper thermocline from salinity normalized DIC after correction for AOU along the isopycnal surfaces. For these depths the results are consistent with the CO₂ uptake rates derived from both MLR and eMLR methods.     

Calibration and evaluation of a carbonate microsensor for studies of the marine inorganic carbon system

Accurate and rapid determination of inorganic carbon constituents in ocean environments is important for understanding the carbon cycle, especially in the context of ocean-acidification research. A microsensor capable of directly measuring carbonate ion (CO₃ ^2–) concentrations would be desirable. In this study, a carbonate microsensor with a polymeric liquid membrane was fabricated, and two calibration methods were used to evaluate its performance. The first method was based on continuous titration. Small increments of HCl were added to seawater or Na₂CO₃ solution to adjust the total alkalinity and pH values and thus obtain a series of carbonate concentrations. The second method used a series of discrete standards. Varying amounts of HCl or NaOH were added to separate seawater aliquots, and the CO₃ ^2– concentration of each standard was calculated from the resulting total alkalinity and total dissolved inorganic carbon. Both methods were found to be adequate for achieving accurate calibration of the CO₃ ^2– sensor, and both are suitable for field work. The discrete standards method, however, is more convenient and may provide a better linear range at low CO₃ ^2– concentrations (detection range: 2–300 μmol/kg) than the continuous titration method in seawater (detection range: 10–250 μmol/kg). This CO₃ ^2– microsensor can be used for 5–7 d and detects changes in carbonate concentration as low as 2 μmol/kg in the inorganic carbon constituents of the environments where marine calcareous organisms grow. The CO₃ ^2– microelectrode was further assessed by applying it to the measurement of pore-water CO₃ ^2– concentration profiles in a marine sediment core.     

Effects of heavy metals on the development and survival of abalone Haliotis midae larvae

Despite a growing abalone Haliotis midae industry in South Africa, few studies have measured the effects of heavy metals on larval survival and growth in the face of recent increases in marine pollution. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of copper on survival and zinc on development of H. midae larvae. Larvae 24 hours old were exposed to either copper (0–30 μg l^–1) or zinc (0–200 μg l^–1) for 48 h before mortality or larval development respectively were quantified. Copper significantly reduced survival, with an LC₅₀ of 5.58 μg l^–1 (5.07–6.15, 95% CI). Although the concentrations of zinc used in the study did not have a significant effect on mortality, there was a significant effect on the incidence of abnormal larvae with an EC₅₀ of 102.25 μg l^–1 (96.68–105.94, 95% CI). At concentrations above the EC₅₀, more than 50% of the larvae showed severe developmental abnormalities. Results suggest that copper poses the greatest risk to abalone larvae as the LC₅₀ was similar to the target concentration for this metal for South African coastal waters. By contrast, zinc is potentially less problematic, with the EC₅₀ for larval development being four times the target concentration for this metal.     

Concentrations of suspended matter and particulate cadmium,copper, lead and zinc in the Indian sector of the antarctic ocean

The concentrations of suspended matter and particulate Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined for 36 samples collected at 6 stations in the Antarctic Ocean during December, 1970 and January, 1971 using membrane filters. The concentration of suspended matter was determined gravimetrically and trace metal levels were determined using anodic stripping voltammetry. For waters deeper than 100 m the concentration of suspended matter was < 100 μg l^?1. Concentrations up to 542 μg l^?1 were recorded between surface and 100 m. Individual concentrations of the metals were scattered with depth. Average concentrations of particulate metals were: Cd, 3.5 ng l^?1; Cu, 100 ng l^?1; Pb, 35 ng l^?1; and Zn, 230 ng ;l^?1 These measurements represent non-steady state conditions of early Antarctic summer as the ice pack disintegrates and biological activity increases.     

Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the Sea of Okhotsk during late summer of 2006

The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the most productive marine basins in the world ocean and plays an important role in transport of organic carbon and iron to the western subarctic Pacific. We report the first measurements of phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates in the Sea of Okhotsk, in late summer of 2006. The study area can be divided into two areas: nutrient-sufficient waters on the continental shelf along the east coast of Sakhalin Island and in the vicinity of Bussol Strait, and surface nutrient-depleted waters beyond the shelf break and in the vicinity of Sakhalin Bay. Phytoplankton growth rate in the studied area was strongly affected by nutrient availability, with high phytoplankton growth rate (0.55±0.14 d^?1) in the nutrient-replete region and severely depressed growth (0.03±0.05 d^?1) in the nutrient-depleted region. On the other hand, microzooplankton grazing rates in both the nutrient-replete and nutrient-depleted regions were approximately the same (0.26±0.20 d^?1 vs. 0.27±0.24 d^?1). Consequently, microzooplankton grazing consumed <50% of the phytoplankton growth in nutrient-rich waters but >3 times the phytoplankton growth in nutrient-depleted waters. Phytoplankton physiological condition as measured by the maximum photochemical quantum efficiency (F_v/F_m) of algal photosystem II (PS II) showed a general trend in agreement with the in situ growth rate of phytoplankton. In contrast to the phytoplankton community, picophytoplankton, especially the cyanobacteria Synechococcus, showed no nutrient effect on their growth, and the growth and mortality rates were well balanced, suggesting that they have a low nutrient requirement and their biomass was controlled principally by microzooplankton grazing.