The annual production of biogenic silica in the Antarctic Ocean

The total annual production of biogenic silica (BSi) of the Antarctic Ocean is estimated at about 50 tera (T = 10¹²) mol Si. This flux is calculated using available direct measurements of integrated silicic acid uptake rates, indirect estimates from field distribution of orthosilicic acid in austral winter compared with that in austral summer and/or after conversion of ^l4C primary production using appropriate Si/C mole ratios measured for the four Antarctic subsystems: the Polar Front Zone, the Permanently Open Ocean Zone, the Seasonal Ice Zone, and the continental shelves and coastal zones. We show that most of the total production of BSi occurs in the surface layers of the Permanently Open Ocean Zone and in the Seasonal Ice Zone, the contribution of the coastal areas being less relevant. Our results fit well with the previously described distributions of the net accumulation rates of opal in Antarctic abyssal and coastal sediments. The mean ratio of net opal accumulation at the sea-bed to the net production of BSi in the surface layer of the Antarctic Ocean is about 15%.     

Specific Features of the Structure and Dynamics of Waters and Their Influence on the Distribution of Krill and Salpae in the Weddell and Scotia Seas in March–April, 1997–1998

We present the results of biological and oceanographic investigations performed in the Weddell and Scotia Seas within the framework of the first (January–June, 1997) and second (January–June, 1998) Ukrainian Antarctic marine expeditions. We reveal some regularities in the space distribution of the aggregations of krill and salpae depending on the abiotic (hydrophysical) environmental factors and discuss possible mechanisms promoting the formation of aggregations of krill and salpae in the Antarctic waters.     

长江口生物硅的组成、行为和收支

基于在长江口开展的三个综合航次对河口生物硅组成、行为和收支进行了研究。结果表明,长江口生物硅主要是由植硅体、硅藻和海绵骨针三部分组成,其中植硅体有16种形态,在高混浊区对生物硅的贡献量为23%-83%。收支计算显示,长江输送的生物硅是河口区获取外部生物硅的主要途径,占河口生物硅总输入量的95%;维持河口生物硅水平的主要过程是初级生产（55 Gmol a^-1）和沉积过程（46 Gmol a^-1）;初级生产所贡献的生物硅分别是长江生物硅输送量的2.3倍和河口区向外输送生物硅的63%。从河口区向东海和黄海输送的生物硅是26 Gmol a^-1,与长江的生物硅输送量相当;河口区沉积的生物硅是向外输送量的1.7倍,在其中植硅体贡献了53%至88%的生物硅,表明河口是陆源生物硅汇的作用;反风化作用也是河口活性硅去除的一个重要途径。本研究显示植硅体是河口生物硅的重要组成部分,长江口在生物硅收支与循环中表现出汇的作用。     

南黄海生物硅的时空变化

Concentrations of biogenic silica(BSi) in the southern Yellow Sea were determined during four cruises(spring:April–May 2014; autumn: November 2014; summer: August–September 2015; winter: January 2016). Samples of BSi were measured using the double extraction method. Seasonal and spatial variations of BSi and the potential correlation between chlorophyll a(Chl a) content and BSi in four seasons were measured in this study. Significant spatial variability was observed in seawater BSi concentrations. The average concentration of BSi was highest in winter and lowest in spring. Furthermore, the relationships between concentrations of BSi and hydrological parameters were also discussed. There was a significant positive correlation between Chl a and BSi. The concentrations of BSi showed significant relationships with temperature and the concentrations of silicates, total inorganic nitrogen and total inorganic phosphorus, indicating that distribution of BSi was affected by temperature and nutrient level.     

Microbial mediation of benthic biogenic silica dissolution

Pore water profiles from 24 stations in the South Atlantic (located in the Guinea, Angola, Cape, Guyana, and Argentine basins) show good correlations of oxygen and silicon, suggesting microbially mediated dissolution of biogenic silica. We used simple analytical transport and reaction models to show the tight coupling of the reconstructed process kinetics of aerobic respiration and silicon regeneration. A generic transport and reaction model successfully reproduced the majority of Si pore water profiles from aerobic respiration rates, confirming that the dissolution of biogenic silica (BSi) occurs proportionally to O₂ consumption. Possibly limited to well-oxygenated sediments poor in BSi, benthic Si fluxes can be inferred from O₂ uptake with satisfactory accuracy. Compared to aerobic respiration kinetics, the solubility of BSi emerged as a less influential parameter for silicon regeneration. Understanding the role of bacteria for silicon regeneration requires further investigations, some of which are outlined. The proposed aerobic respiration control of benthic silicon cycling is suitable for benthic–pelagic models. The empirical relation of BSi dissolution to aerobic respiration can be used for regionalization assessments and estimates of the silicon budget to increase the understanding of global primary and export production patterns.     

Problems with biogenic silica measurement in marginal seas

Surface sediment samples from the Bohai, Yellow Sea, and the Pacific were used to assess biogenic silica (BSi) content and to study uncertainties in BSi measurements. The contents of BSi in the Bohai and Yellow Sea are all less than 1%. The dissolution of BSi in sediments from the Bohai and Yellow Sea is very important to maintain high levels of silicate in the water column. The non-biogenic silica from clay minerals has an obvious effect on BSi of sediment samples in the Bohai and Yellow Sea with low BSi and high clay minerals. The solid to solution ratio was found to have a great influence on BSi measurement, which can induce uncertainties up to 75%. The effect of loss by sorption and centrifugation is negligible. Interlaboratory comparison of techniques for BSi measurement by the wet alkaline extraction technique of Mortlock and Froelich [Deep-Sea Res. 36 (1989) 1415-1426] with clay correction was suggested to give no significant differences. However, differences in sediment compositions and reagent to sample ratio may limit the application of the wet alkaline extraction method.     

Biogeochemical responses to late-winter storms in the Sargasso Sea,II: Increased rates of biogenic silica production and export

Previous studies measuring biogenic silica production in the Sargasso Sea, all conducted when no phytoplankton bloom was in progress, have reported a mean rate of 0.4 mmol Si m^?2 d^?1 and maximum rate of 0.9 mmol Si m^?2 d^?1, the lowest rates yet recorded in any ocean habitat. During February/March of 2004 and 2005 we studied the effects of late-winter storms prior to seasonal stratification on the production rate, standing stock and vertical export of biogenic silica in the Sargasso Sea. In 2004, alternating storm and stratification events provided pulsed input of nutrients to the euphotic zone. In contrast, nearly constant storm conditions in 2005 caused the mixed layer to deepen to ～350 m toward the end of the cruise. Biogenic silica production rates in the upper 140 m were statistically indistinguishable between years, averaging ～1.0 mmol Si m^?2 d^?1. In early March 2004, a storm event entrained nutrients into the euphotic zone and, upon stabilization, vertically integrated biogenic silica in the upper 140 m nearly doubled in 2 days. Within 4 days, 75–100% of the accumulated biogenic silica was exported, sustaining a flux to 200 m of ～0.5 mmol Si m^?2 d^?1 (4× greater than export measured during February and March in the mid-1990s). In 2005, destabilization without stratification increased biogenic silica flux at 200 m up to two-fold above previously measured export in late winter, with little or no increase in water-column biogenic silica. Despite comprising <5% of total chlorophyll, diatoms accounted for an estimated 25–50% of the nitrate uptake in the upper 140 m and 35–97% of the particulate organic nitrogen export from the upper 200 m during both cruise periods. These previously unobserved brief episodes of diatom production and export in response to late-winter storms increase the estimated production and export of diatom-derived material in the Sargasso Sea in late winter by >150%, and increase estimated annual biogenic silica production in this region by ～8%.     

渤海颗粒有机碳与生物硅的分布及来源

海洋碳、硅循环及其相关联的生物地球化学过程是全球环境变化的热点问题,也是海洋科学关心的重要领域。利用2012年5月和11月份对渤海海域的调查结果,对该海域颗粒有机碳和生物硅的分布特征及来源进行了讨论。主要结论为:渤海有机碳以溶解有机碳为主,具有春季高和秋季低的特征;由陆地来源和海洋自生的有机碳组成,且以海洋来源的有机碳为主。渤海生物硅分布具有明显的梯度特征,河流输入同样对其含量的影响较为突出。渤海沉积物中生物硅含量较高,明显高于中国东部陆架海。渤海表层沉积物中生物硅主要是海源的,依次由浮游藻类、植硅体和海绵骨针所构成,其中浮游藻类占62.9%,陆源植硅体占31.1%。渤海沉积物发现了来自于草本植物的植硅体,这说明了陆地产生的植硅体对海洋生物硅的贡献。     

悬浮颗粒物中生物硅测定方法的改进与应用

硅是河流和海洋中非常重要的营养盐,硅藻、放射虫、硅质海绵、硅鞭毛虫的生长和骨骼形成都离不开硅[1].硅在河流和沿岸海域生态系统中扮演着非常重要的角色,在浮游植物大量繁殖季节,由于硅藻的大量繁殖,使活性硅酸盐含量急剧下降,甚至使硅藻的生长繁殖受到限制.在其他环境条件适宜的情况下,充足的硅又将成为发生硅藻赤潮的物质基础[2].生物硅是用化学方法测定的无定形硅的含量[3],称为生物蛋白石或简称蛋白石,是地球化学、古海洋学研究中非常重要的参数[4].根据世界部分河流生物硅和溶解硅的平均值计算,河流输送入海的硅中有16%的是生物硅,因此河流输送的生物硅的量是全球海洋硅收支中不可忽略的部分[5].     

东印度洋近20 ka以来的生物硅记录及其古生产力意义

通过对东印度洋钻孔CJ01-185的生物硅来探讨东印度洋古生产力的变化和古气候演化的响应。CJ01-185钻孔的生物硅含量在末次冰期最低,为0.86%;而到了全新世晚期生物硅含量达到1.89%。全新世晚期生物硅的堆积速率明显大于末次冰期。随着全新世海平面的快速上升,巽他海峡贯通,来自爪哇海的陆源物质输入到东印度洋,导致全新世的生物硅含量和生物硅的堆积速率增加。研究表明：巽他海峡贯通前,研究区的古生产力主要受东南季风变化和上升流的活动影响;而巽他海峡贯通后,古生产力很明显受到陆源物质输入的控制,东南季风变化和上升流的影响较弱。     

Northwestern Weddell Sea deep outflow into the Scotia Sea during the austral summers of 2000 and 2001 estimated by inverse methods

The northward outflow of cold, dense water from the Weddell Sea into the world ocean basins plays a key role in balancing the global heat budget. We estimate the geostrophic flow patterns in the northwestern Weddell Sea using box inverse methods applied to quasi-synoptic hydrographic data collected during the Brazilian DOVETAIL 2000 and 2001 austral summer cruises. The analysis is focused on the variations of the deep Weddell Sea outflow into the Scotia Sea within boxes that bound the main deep gaps over the South Scotia Ridge. To determine the geostrophic volume transports in each box, mass, salt, and heat are conserved within neutral density layers that are not in contact with the atmosphere. Implementing the inverse model and using property anomaly equations weighted by the flow estimate uncertainty our results are consistent with those reported in the literature. A bottom triangle extrapolation method is introduced, which improves the estimated property fluxes through hydrographic sections. In the austral summer of 2000 the transports of Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) through the Philip Passage, Orkney Passage, and southwestern Bruce Passage are 0.01±0.01, 1.15±0.33, and 1.03±0.23 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s⁻¹, >0 is northward), respectively. After extrapolation within bottom triangles these transports increase to 0.12±0.03, 3.48±1.81, and 1.20±2.16 Sv. Analysis of the hydrographic data reveal distinct oceanographic conditions over the Philip Passage region, with evidence of mesoscale meanders, warmer and saltier Warm Deep Water (WDW) and colder WSDW observed in 2001 than in 2000. Despite these differences the WSDW transport does not present a significant variation between 2000 and 2001. The WSDW transports through the Philip Passage in 2001 are 0.012±0.001 and 0.113±0.001 Sv after extrapolation within bottom triangles. The circulation derived from the inversion in the austral summer of 2001 suggests a sharp weakening of the barotropic cyclonic flow in the Powell Basin, which may be due to northerly and northeasterly winds associated with an atmospheric low-pressure center located west of the Antarctic Peninsula. We suggest that similar variations in atmospheric forcing may explain changes in the intensity of the cyclonic flow observed in the northwestern Weddell Sea and Powell Basin.     

Silicon flux and distribution of biogenic silica in deep-sea sediments in the western North Pacific Ocean

We investigated biogenic silica, several biological components, and silicate in pore-water in the abyssal sediment to determine silicon flux of western North Pacific during several cruises. The surficial sediment biogenic silica content was high at high latitudes with the boundary running along the Kuroshio Extension, and maximum values (exceeding 20%) were found in the Oyashio region. In the subtropical region to the south, most stations showed less than 5% biogenic silica content. This distribution pattern reflected primary production and ocean currents in the surface layer very well. Pore-water samples were collected from 4 stations along the east coast of Japan. The highest asymptotic silicic acid concentration (670 μmol L^?1) in pore-water was observed at the junction of Kuroshio and Oyashio, followed by samples from the Oyashio region. It is at the southern station that the lowest value (450 μmol L^?1) was observed, and the primary production is low under the influence of Kuroshio there. The diffusive flux followed the same geographic trend as the asymptotic silicic acid concentrations did, ranging 77–389 mmol m^?2 yr ^?1. Multiple sampling of pore-water was conducted throughout the year at one station at high latitude. The average annual biogenic silica rain flux observed using sediment traps was 373 mmol m^?2 yr^?1; the diffusive flux and burial flux at the sediment–water interface were 305 and 9 mmol m^?2 yr^?1, respectively. We concluded that most of the settling silica particles dissolved and diffused at the sediment–water interface and approximately 3% only were preserved in this area. In addition, the obvious time lag observed between the peak rain flux and the maximum diffusive flux suggested that primary production in the surface layer has a great influence on the sedimentation environment of abyssal western North Pacific. These transitions of Si flux at the sediment–water interface were considerably greater in northwestern North Pacific than in southwestern North Pacific. In addition, a station in the Philippine Sea indicated high biogenic silica content because of Ethmodiscus ooze, which are scattered randomly on the sea floor in the subtropical region.     

Runoff- and monsoon-driven variability of fish production in East China Seas

To understand the confounding fishing effect and physical influence on fish production, catch time series in the East China Seas were analyzed. Principal component analysis partitioned 18 catch time series into interannual trends and variations. While the trends were attributed to growth in fishing effort, variations in catches were related to precipitation and monsoon wind speed. Correlations of catch variations with the physical variables suggest that land-based runoff and monsoon circulation of the diluted coastal water masses are the physical forces dominating catch variability and the influences are largely through the associated nutrient supply on primary production. Runoff inputs nutrients to the coastal ecosystem, while monsoons drive their distribution. Offshore diffusion of the coastal water masses by the summer monsoon increases distribution and efficiency of nutrients and has a positive effect on fish production. Southerly transport of coastal currents alongshore by the winter monsoon confines nutrient distribution and induces nutrient loss from the northern waters. This process reduces overall and northern production, but increases production to the south. A long-term variation in catches was identified, which corresponds to a trend in the local winter monsoon as well as large-scale atmospheric changes. Prediction of the catch variation by the local wind speed suggests that large-scale atmospheric circulation determines the trend in the local winter monsoon, and the local winter monsoon that drives nutrient distribution should be directly responsible for the long-term variation of fish production in the East China Seas.     

Dissolved aluminium in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence and effect of Al on the dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica

In the Scotia and Weddell Seas the concentration of dissolved Al was 1–1.5 nM in ice-free surface waters, up to 3 nM in ice-covered waters and about 2.6 nM in bottom waters. The solubility and the dissolution rate of diatomaceous silica, obtained from net samples and from incubations in the presence or absence of dissolved Al, were inversely related to solid-phase Al/Si ratios. At in situ temperatures, dissolution rates for Antarctic diatoms are higher than those for diatoms from temperate regions. Effects on distribution patterns of silicic acid in the Weddell Sea are discussed.     

夏季珠江口及近岸海域悬浮颗粒物生物硅分析

2017年6月在珠江口及近岸海域61个站位采集了悬浮颗粒物生物硅(BSi,biogenic silica)和叶绿素a(Chl a)。利用RAGUENEAU et al(2005)提出的碱提取法测定了悬浮颗粒物生物硅,探讨不同环境条件下BSi浓度以及碱性提取液中岩源硅(LSi,lithogenic silica)的干扰程度。结果显示,Chl a质量浓度范围为0.06~8.64 μg·L^-1,悬浮颗粒物BSi浓度从低于检测限到14.3 μmol·L^-1,LSi浓度范围为0.00~9.56 μmol·L^-1;LSi/(LSi+BSi)比均值为0.38 mol·mol^-1。提取液中测得的Si/Al比均值为2.42 mol·mol^-1,与RAGUENEAU et al(2005)报道值接近。研究区域内的表层BSi反映了硅藻的生物量,与Chl a存在显著线性相关。LSi对BSi测量的干扰程度存在明显的空间差异,总体上近岸BSi和LSi高,LSi/(LSi+BSi)比低;外海BSi和LSi低,LSi/(LSi+BSi)比高;河口内BSi低,LSi高,LSi/(LSi+BSi)比高;上升流区BSi和LSi高,LSi/(LSi+BSi)比高;底层较表层具有更高的LSi和LSi/(LSi+BSi)比。最后,对常用的几种碱提取法在应用时存在的问题作了探讨。     

赤道太平洋上层水体颗粒态生物硅分布及与营养盐的关系

依托中国“大洋一号”第20和第21调查航次,分析测定了东、西赤道太平洋4个站位的颗粒态生物硅浓度及其粒级结构。结果显示赤道太平洋采样站各层位颗粒态生物硅(PBSi)总浓度分布范围为5~65 nmol/dm³,东赤道太平洋的调查站位颗粒态生物硅的总浓度平均值达46 nmol/dm³,是西赤道太平洋的近3倍。PBSi的粒径结果显示在东赤道太平洋调查站位0.8~20 μm粒径颗粒是PBSi的主要来源,其平均贡献率高达64%;而在西赤道太平洋2种粒径的生物硅贡献率相当。营养盐分布对PBSi的浓度及粒径分布有显著的影响,并在一定程度上控制了“硅质泵”的组成结构,是控制大洋生物泵运转的重要因素。     

Effect of solid to solution ratio on biogenic silica determination in coastal sediments

The method of DeMaster (1981) for measuring biogenic silica (BSi) in marine sediments was modified. We found a considerable effect of the solid to solution (S/S) ratio on BSi determination in coastal sediments. The BSi contents determined by DeMaster’s method were overestimated due to the contribution of clay mineral-derived extractable Si at a low S/S ratio (<1 g l⁻¹), and incomplete recovery of BSi was observed due to incomplete extraction when using a high S/S ratio (>2 g l⁻¹). For BSi analysis of coastal sediment samples, the BSi content of representative samples must be measured using various S/S ratios to determine the appropriate S/S ratio in order to minimize the contribution of extractable Si derived from clay minerals and to obtain sufficiently efficient extraction with 1% Na₂CO₃ before actual sample measurement. One way to determine the appropriate S/S ratio is to use artificial sediment which has a theoretical Si and clay mineral content similar to the sediment sample composition. Using artificial sediment, the S/S ratio of 2 g l⁻¹ seems appropriate for measuring the BSi content of the coastal sediments investigated in this study, because 99.6% recovery can be achieved.     

The ebb and flood of Silica: Quantifying dissolved and biogenic silica fluxes from a temperate salt marsh

Salt marshes are widely studied due to the broad range of ecosystem services they provide including serving as crucial wildlife habitat and as hotspots for biogeochemical cycling. Nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) are well studied in these systems. However, salt marshes may also be important environments for the cycling of another key nutrient, silica (Si). Found at the land–sea interface, these systems are silica replete with large stocks in plant biomass, sediments, and porewater, and therefore, have the potential to play a substantial role in the transformation and export of silica to coastal waters. In an effort to better understand this role, we measured the fluxes of dissolved (DSi) and biogenic (BSi) silica into and out of two tidal creeks in a temperate, North American (Rowley, Massachusetts, USA) salt marsh. One of the creeks has been fertilized from May to September for six years allowing us to examine the impacts of nutrient addition on silica dynamics within the marsh. High-resolution sampling in July 2010 showed no significant differences in Si concentrations between the fertilized and reference creeks with dissolved silica ranging from 0.5 to 108 μM and biogenic from 2.0 to 56 μM. Net fluxes indicated that the marsh is a point source of dissolved silica to the estuary in the summer with a net flux of approximately 169 mol h⁻¹, demonstrating that this system exports DSi on the same magnitude as some nearby, mid-sized rivers. If these findings hold true for all salt marshes, then these already valuable regions are contributing yet another ecosystem service that has been previously overlooked; by exporting DSi to coastal receiving waters, salt marshes are actively providing this important nutrient for coastal primary productivity.     

Spatio-temporal distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon and net community production in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas

As part of the 2002 Western Arctic Shelf–Basin Interactions (SBI) project, spatio-temporal variability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was employed to determine rates of net community production (NCP) for the Chukchi and western Beaufort Sea shelf and slope, and Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean. Seasonal and spatial distributions of DIC were characterized for all water masses (e.g., mixed layer, halocline waters, Atlantic layer, and deep Arctic Ocean) of the Chukchi Sea region during field investigations in spring (5 May–15 June 2002) and summer (15 July–25 August 2002). Between these periods, high rates of phytoplankton production resulted in large drawdown of inorganic nutrients and DIC in the Polar Mixed Layer (PML) and in the shallow depths of the Upper Halocline Layer (UHL). The highest rates of NCP (1000–2850 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) occurred on the shelf in the Barrow Canyon region of the Chukchi Sea and east of Barrow in the western Beaufort Sea. A total NCP rate of 8.9–17.8×10¹² g for the growing season was estimated for the eastern Chukchi Sea shelf and slope region. Very low inorganic nutrient concentrations and low rates of NCP (<15–25 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) estimated for the mixed layer of the adjacent Arctic Ocean basin indicate that this area is perennially oligotrophic.     

Processes controlling solubility of biogenic silica and pore water build-up of silicic acid in marine sediments

Dissolution experiments in batch and flow-through reactors were combined with data on sediment composition and pore water silicic acid profiles to identify processes controlling the solubility of biogenic silica and the build-up of silicic acid in marine sediments. The variability of experimentally determined biogenic silica solubilities is due, in part, to variations in specific surface area and Al content of biosiliceous materials. Preferential dissolution of delicate skeletal structures and frustules with high surface areas leads to a progressive decrease of the specific surface area. This may cause a reduction of the solubility of deposited biosiliceous debris by 10–15%, relative to fresh planktonic assemblages. Dissolution of lithogenic (detrital) minerals in sediments releases dissolved aluminum to the pore waters. This aluminum becomes structurally incorporated into deposited biogenic silica, further decreasing its solubility. Compared to Al-free biogenic silica, the solubility of diatom frustules is lowered by as much as 25% when one out of every 70 Si atoms is substituted by an Al(III) ion.The build-up of silicic acid in pore waters of sediments with variable proportions of detrital matter and biogenic silica was simulated in batch experiments using kaolinite and basalt as model detrital constituents. The steady-state silicic acid concentrations measured in the experiments decreased with increasing detrital-to-opal ratios of the mixtures. This trend is similar to the observed inverse relationship between asymptotic pore water silicic acid concentrations and detrital-to-opal ratios in Southern Ocean sediments. Flow-through reactor experiments further showed that in detrital-rich sediments, precipitation of authigenic alumino-silicates may prevent the pore waters from reaching equilibrium with the dissolving biogenic silica. This agrees with data from Southern Ocean sediments where, at sites containing more than 30 wt.% detrital material, the pore waters remain undersaturated with respect to the experimentally determined in situ solubility of biogenic silica.The results of the study show that interactions between deposited biogenic silica and detrital material cause large variations in the asymptotic silicic acid concentration of marine sediments. The production of Al(III) by the dissolution of detrital minerals affects the build-up of silicic acid by reducing the apparent silica solubility and dissolution kinetics of biosiliceous materials, and by inducing precipitation of authigenic alumino-silicate minerals.