Settling velocity spectra and the ballast ratio hypothesis

Recently it has been observed that a strong quantitative relationship exists between asymptotic fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the deep ocean and asymptotic fluxes of “ballast” minerals (opal; calcium carbonate; dust). It has further been suggested that this relationship might provide a mechanistic basis for improved representations of remineralization in ocean carbon models. Since the depth scale of remineralization z* is the ratio k/v of a remineralization rate k and a settling velocity (SV) v, a mechanistic understanding of settling velocities will be crucial in developing such models.Historically, there have been two approaches to estimating the speed with which POC is transported to the deep ocean. First, settling speeds of single particles have been observed directly in both field and laboratory settings; estimates of fecal pellet sinking velocities tend to be higher and more variable than those of aggregates. Second, estimates have been made of the velocity at which temporal patterns in flux propagate between pairs of sediment traps separated in depth (the “benchmark approach”); recent studies have shown these results to be variable and to depend on mineral ballasting. Here we present SV estimates using a relatively new technology: indented rotating sphere (IRS) sediment traps run in settling velocity (SV) mode. In this approach, particles are separated into SV classes during settling to collection cups. In MedFlux, SV data were collected concurrently with time-series (TS) data; the latter were used to construct benchmark estimates for comparison to the SV estimates. From the SV data, the range of modal settling velocities (sinking velocities having the largest time-averaged mass flux densities on a logarithmic scale of SV) in the fast-sinking fraction was estimated to be 287–503 m/d; the average of these modal values is 353 m/d, with standard deviation 76 m/d. In contrast, mean settling velocities of the fast-sinking fraction depend on the range of settling velocity classes included in the estimate. If only SV classes settling at >50 m/d are included, the range of SVs at MedFlux was 214–298 m/d, with average mean value 242 m/d and standard deviation 31 m/d. These mean-velocity results are in excellent agreement with benchmark estimates of signal propagation velocities at Medflux (220±65 m/d); they are also well within the range of other recent benchmark studies. The agreement between the benchmark estimates and mean settling velocity estimates at MedFlux, but not with modal velocities, argues that the benchmark method estimates mean settling velocities.     

Experimental study on the gap entrance profile affecting rudder gap cavitation

The unsteady cavity patterns around the gap of the conventional and newly developed semi-spade rudders for marine ships are visualized qualitatively using a high-speed CCD camera. Time-resolved PIV analysis is also performed with the bubble tracers to study the flow behavior over the rudder surface. In addition, pressure measurements are conducted on the rudder surface and inside the gap to find out the flow characteristics around the gap entrance of the rudder. Both the rudders are tested without a propeller wake at the various cavitation numbers and at the rudder deflection angle of −8°θ10°. The strong cavitation patterns around the conventional rudder gap are significantly reduced by adopting a newly developed entrance profile, and a time-resolved velocity field is found to be very effective in catching the vortical cavity flow around the rudder gap. The stagnation point near the gap entrance of the conventional rudder can cause unsteady cavity flow. However, the developed rudder has very stable pressure distribution along the horn surface and decreases the pressure inside the gap because of the modification of the gap entrance. The pressure distribution around the gap of the suction side is closely related to the variation of the rudder deflection angle. The cavitation inception speed is delayed by about 4 knots in the angle range of −5°θ5° by employing the developed profile of the gap entrance.     

Particulate organic carbon–Th relationships in particles separated by settling velocity in the northwest Mediterranean Sea

In order to better understand the relationship between the natural radionuclide ²³⁴Th and particulate organic carbon (POC), marine particles were collected in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea (spring/summer, 2003 and 2005) by sediment traps that separated them according to their in situ settling velocities. Particles also were collected in time-series sediment traps. Particles settling at rates of >100 m d⁻¹ carried 50% and 60% of the POC and ²³⁴Th fluxes, respectively, in both sampling years. The POC flux decreased with depth for all particle settling velocity intervals, with the greatest decrease (factor of 2.3) in the slowly settling intervals (0.68–49 m d⁻¹) over trap depths of 524–1918 m, likely due to dissolution and decomposition of material. In contrast the flux of ²³⁴Th associated with the slowly settling particles remained constant with depth, while ²³⁴Th fluxes on the rapidly settling particles increased. Taking into account decay of ²³⁴Th on the settling particles, the patterns of ²³⁴Th flux with depth suggest that either both slow and fast settling particles scavenge additional ²³⁴Th during their descent or there is significant exchange between the particle classes. The observed changes in POC and ²³⁴Th flux produce a general decrease in POC/²³⁴Th of the settling particles with depth. There is no consistent trend in POC/²³⁴Th with settling velocity, such as might be expected from surface area and volume considerations. Good correlations are observed between ²³⁴Th and POC, lithogenic material and CaCO₃ for all settling velocity intervals. Pseudo-K_ds calculated for ²³⁴Th in the shallow traps (2005) are ranked as lithogenic material opal <calcium carbonate <organic carbon. Organic carbon contributes 33% to the bulk K_d, and for lithogenic material, opal and CaCO₃, the fraction is 22% each. Decreases in POC/²³⁴Th with depth are accompanied by increases in the ratio of ²³⁴Th to lithogenic material and opal. No change in the relationship between ²³⁴Th and CaCO₃ was evident with depth. These patterns are consistent with loss of POC through decomposition, opal through dissolution and additional scavenging of ²³⁴Th onto lithogenic material as the particles sink.     

Parameterization of iron and manganese cycling in the Black Sea suboxic and anoxic environment

New and published data on the distribution and speciation of manganese and iron in seawater are analyzed to identify and parameterize major biogeochemical processes of their cycling within the suboxic (15.6σ_t16.2) and anoxic layers (σ_t16.2) of the Black Sea. A steady-state transport-reaction model is applied to reveal layering and parameterize kinetics of redox and dissolution/precipitation processes. Previously published data on speciation of these elements in seawater are used to specify the nature of the transformations. Two particulate species of iron (Fe(III) hydroxide and Fe(II) sulfide) are necessary to adequately parameterize the vertical profile of suspended iron, while three particulate species (hydrous Mn(IV) oxide, Mn(II) sulfide, and Mn(II) carbonate) are necessary to describe the profile of suspended manganese. In addition to such processes as mixing and advection, precipitation, sinking, and dissolution of manganese carbonate are found to be essential in maintaining the observed vertical distribution of dissolved Mn(II). These results are used to interpret the observed difference in the form of vertical distribution for dissolved Mn(II) and Fe(II). Redox transformations of iron and manganese are coupled via oxidation of dissolved iron by sinking suspended manganese at σ_t16.2±0.2 kg m⁻³. The particulate manganese, necessary for this reaction, is supplied through oxidation of dissolved Mn(II). The best agreement with observations is achieved when nitrate, rather than oxygen, is set to oxidize dissolved Mn(II) in the lower part of the suboxic layer (15.90σ_t16.2). The results support the idea that, after sulfides of these metals are formed, they sink with particulate organic matter. The sinking rates of the particles and specific rates of individual redox and dissolved-particulate transformations have been estimated by fitting the vertical profile of the net rate.     

Nutrient distributions in baroclinic eddies of the oligotrophic North Atlantic and inferred impacts on biology

High-sensitivity (nanomolar) techniques for nitrate and phosphate were applied to study nutrient patterns in the euphotic zone of mesoscale eddies in the Sargasso Sea during the EDDIES project. Surface concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite (DNN) and phosphate (DIP) were found in the range of 1–20 nM with substantial spatial variability in the eddies, with resulting mean N:P molar ratios of 2.1. Chlorophyll biomass was well correlated with DNN but not DIP in the upper euphotic zone, suggesting N-limitation of marine phytoplankton at this time of year. Within the upper 140 m, the water column experienced a transition from a P-enriched (relative to Redfield ratio) shallow layer to a N-enriched deep layer, which may suggest downward transport and subsequent remineralization of high N/P biogenic products presumably originating from N₂ fixation. Chlorophyll biomass in the deep chlorophyll maximum of eddies was found to be tightly related to eddy–induced variability in major nutrients (N, P, Si) and nutrient stoichiometry, suggesting that the impact of eddies on biology is through control of nutrient availability. Because the eddies were likely to be in various phases of development (different degrees of both biological and physical maturity), full interpretation of eddy data and dynamics will require better coverage of a full eddy life cycle.     

The POC / Th ratio of settling particles isolated using split flow-thin cell fractionation (SPLITT)

The common assumption that the ratio between particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate ²³⁴Th obtained from shallow sediment traps and filterable particles are representative of the ratio in the total particle settling flux should be treated with caution in view of well-known biases associated with tethered shallow sediment traps and the decoupling between size and settling velocity of many natural particle regimes. To make progress toward reliably constraining the POC / ²³⁴Th ratio on truly settling particles, we have tested here a settling collection technique designed to remove any hydrodynamic bias; split flow-thin cell fractionation (SPLITT). These first results from a North Sea fjord and an open Baltic Sea time-series station indicates that the POC / ²³⁴Th ratio on the more complete particle-settling spectrum, isolated with SPLITT, was higher than the POC / ²³⁴Th ratio obtained simultaneously from tethered shallow sediment traps in seven out of seven parallel deployments with an average factor of 210%. The POC / ²³⁴Th ratio from the SPLITT was either in the same range or higher than that obtained on filtered “bulk” particles. To explain this novel data we hypothesize that the slowest settling fraction is organic-matter rich and does not strongly complex ²³⁴Th (i.e., high POC / ²³⁴Th). We suggest that this ultra-slow sinking fraction is better collected by SPLITT than with tethered sediment traps because of minimized hydrodynamic bias.This was tested using the ratio of POC / Al as a tracer of detrital mineral-ballast influenced settling velocity. The higher POC / Al ratios in SPLITT samples relative to in traps is consistent with the hypothesis that SPLITT is better suited for collecting also the slow-settling component of sinking particles. This important slow-settling component appears to here consist primarily of non-APS/TEP components of plankton exudates or other less-strongly ²³⁴Th-complexing organic matter. Further applications of the SPLITT technique are likely to return increasingly new insights on the composition (including “truly settling” POC / ²³⁴Th) of the total spectrum of particles settling out of the upper ocean.     

Geometry of scour hole around, and the influence of the angle of attack on the burial of finite cylinders under combined flows

Experiments were conducted to investigate the geometry of the scour hole and flow structure around short cylinders under the action of waves alone (WA) and combined flows (CF). The study is aimed at better understanding the dynamics of isolated objects on a sandy floor under oscillatory flows as occurs in shallow water regions in coastal areas. Flow velocities within the fluid core were recorded and 3D mapping of the bottom was performed with sub-aquatic acoustic sensors. Experiments were conducted for cylinder Reynolds wave number and Keulegan-Carpenter number within the ranges 10⁴R_e1.7×10⁵ and 2KC71, respectively. The present experimental evidence shows that the geometric characteristics of the scour hole (length and width) depend primarily on the Keulegan-Carpenter number (KC) and the cylinder aspect ratio (a_r=L_c/D). The effect of variation in the angle of attack of the flow with respect to the cylinder main axis was also investigated. Initial orientations of zero and ninety degrees were found to be stable while cylinders with intermediate initial orientations tended to orientate their main axes perpendicular to the flow direction. The final angle of orientation was found to be primarily a function of the Shields parameter, θ, and the initial angle of attack, α_i.     

Organic biogeochemistry of the Darwin Mounds, a deep-water coral ecosystem, of the NE Atlantic

The Darwin Mounds are a series of small (5 m high, 75–100 m diameter) sandy features located in the northern Rockall Trough. They provide a habitat for communities of Lophelia pertusa and associated fauna. Suspended particulate organic matter (sPOM) reaching the deep-sea floor, which could potentially fuel this deep-water coral (DWC) ecosystem, was collected during summer 2000. This was relatively “fresh” (i.e. dominated by labile lipids such as polyunsaturated fatty acids) and was derived largely from phytoplankton remains and faecal pellets, with contributions from bacteria and microzooplankton. Labile sPOM components were enriched in the benthic boundary layer (10 m above bottom (mab)) relative to 150 mab. The action of certain benthic fauna that are exclusively associated with the DWC ecosystem (e.g. echiuran worms) leads to the subduction of fresh organic material into the sediments. The mound surface sediments are enriched in organic carbon, relative to off-mound sites. There is no evidence for hydrocarbon venting at this location.     

Particulate barium fluxes and export production in the northwestern Mediterranean

Biogenic barium, mostly in the barite (BaSO₄) form, has been proposed as a tracer for export production in the ocean. Here we report on biogenic barium (Ba_xs) and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes from sediment traps deployed at the DYFAMED site in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Ba_xs fluxes display average values of 37 ± 45 and 50 ± 58 μg/m²/d at 200 and 1000 m respectively, and are linearly correlated to POC fluxes (mean values of 7.9 ± 9.3 and 6.8 ± 6.8 mg C/m²/d at 200 and 1000 m). Export production estimates, calculated using published Ba_xs- or POC-based algorithms, all fall below or close to the lower limit of potential export values proposed in the literature. This work clearly demonstrates the usefulness of Ba_xs as a tracer of oceanic export production in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. However, development of a quantitative export production proxy requires a clear understanding of the underlying cause(s) for the observed spatial variations in the relationship between Ba_xs and POC fluxes. The present study confirms that the processes leading to barite formation differ between margin and open-ocean sites and probably account for much of the regional variability in the POC/Ba_xs ratio.     

Sampling the vertical particle flux in the upper water column using a large diameter free-drifting NetTrap adapted to an Indented Rotating Sphere sediment trap

Further development of the large, surface-tethered sediment trap (NetTrap) employed as part of the MedFlux program is described whereby the large collection capacity of the NetTrap is combined with an Indented Rotating Sphere/Sample Carousel (IRSC) sediment trap (IRSC–NT). This trap is capable of collecting particle flux either in a time series or settling velocity mode; settling velocity mode allows the collection of particles that fall within discrete settling velocity intervals. During short field deployments in the Mediterranean Sea the IRSC–NT configured in the settling velocity mode successfully collected unpoisoned samples for chemical and microbiological experiments. In addition to the development of the IRSC–NT, particle-settling behavior above and below the swimmer-excluding IRS valve was tested during on-deck experiments using a specially constructed water-tight trap. Chemical analyses of settling materials (published elsewhere) suggested that separation of particles by settling velocity was achieved. However, due to the motion of the ship, it was not possible to directly measure particle-settling velocities within the trap. Particle release from the IRS did not bias the apparent settling velocity spectrum. Rotation of the IRS did not engender turbulence at the surface of the sphere or within the skewed funnel below. Tests of different ball designs over the course of the MedFlux program showed that a “ridge and saddle” pattern was optimal for efficiently transferring particles under the IRS seal while still reducing swimmer entrance to the collection funnel. The large size of the IRSC–NT did not prevent it from drifting effectively with the current. Several modifications of the present design are proposed that should improve the accuracy of the settling velocity measurements.     

Organic biomarkers in the twilight zone—Time series and settling velocity sediment traps during MedFlux

The transfer of material through the twilight zone of the ocean is controlled by sinking particles that contain organic matter (OM) and mineral ballast. During the MedFlux field program in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea in 2003, sinking particulate matter was collected in time series (TS) and settling velocity (SV) traps and analyzed for amino acids, lipids, and pigments (along with ballast minerals) [Lee, C., Armstrong, R.A., Wakeham, S.G., Peterson, M.L., Miquel, J.C., Cochran, J.K., Fowler, S.W., Hirschberg, D., Beck, A. Xue, J., 2009b. Particulate matter fluxes in time series and settling velocity sediment traps in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Research II, this volume [doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.12.003]]. The goal was to identify how organic chemical compositions of sinking particles varied as a function of their in-situ settling velocity. The TS record was used to define the biogeochemical character and temporal pattern in flux during the period of SV trap deployment. Temporal variations in organic and mineral compositions are consistent with particle biogeochemistry being driven by the seasonal succession of phytoplankton. Spring diatom bloom conditions led to a high flux of rapidly sinking aggregates and zooplankton fecal matter; summer oligotrophy followed and was characterized by a higher proportion of slowly sinking phytoplankton cells. Bacterial degradation is particularly important during the low-flux summer period. Settling velocity traps show that a large proportion of particulate organic matter sinks at 200–500 m d⁻¹. Organic compositions of this fast-sinking material mirrors that of fecal pellets and aggregated material that sinks as the spring bloom terminates. More-slowly sinking OM bears a stronger signature of bacterial degradation than do the faster-sinking particles. The observation that compositions of SV-sorted fractions are different implies that the particle field is compositionally heterogeneous over a range of settling velocities. Thus physical and biological exchange between fast-sinking and slow-sinking particles as they pass down the water column must be incomplete.     

Recent developments in “added-mass” planing theory

The results of several recent isolated investigations in planing theory are consolidated in this paper, together with new insights generated by a recent numerical solution of the vertically impacting wedge problem by Zhao and Faltinsen [(1992), Water entry of two-dimensional bodies. J. Fluid Mech. 246, 593–612]. As a result, in contrast to some earlier studies, it is found that the “wetted width” associated with the added mass is not that of the intersection of the wedge with the undisturbed water surface, but the wetted width of the splashed-up water, as originally proposed by Wagner [(1932), Uber Stoss-und Gleitvorgange an der Oberflache von Flussig-Keiten, Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik, Band 12, Heft 4 (August)]. However, the splash-up ratio is not the value of (π/2–1) which he proposed, but a value which decreases with increasing deadrise, originally proposed in the late-1940s by Pierson (“Pierson's hypothesis” in the paper). For 30° deadrise, for example, Pierson's splash-up ratio is two-thirds that of Wagner's.The new equations are employed to determine the increase in the “added mass” of prismatic hull sections due to chine immersion, using experimental data. If m_o^′ is the added amss of the hull section whose chines are just wetted, Payne [(1988), Design of High-speed Boats. Volume 1: Planing. Fishergate, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A.] postulated that the increase in added mass due to a chine submergence (z_c) would be

where b is the chine beam and k is a constant which Payne [(1988), Design of High-speed Boats. Volume 1: Planing. Fishergate, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A.] gave as .The present analysis includes the “one-sided flow” correction introduced in Payne [(1990), Planing and impacting forces at large trim angels. Ocean Engng 17, 201–234]. Partly for that reason and partly because of the more precise analysis of the experimental data, the present paper revises the value to k = 2 for wetted length to beam ratios normally employed. For deadrise angles in excess of 40° and wetted keel to beam ratios in excess of 2.0, there is some evidence that k < 2.0.The revised theoretical formulation is compared with eight different sets of experimental data for flat plate and prismatic hull forms and is found to be in excellent agreement when the speed is high enough for “dynamic suction” (a loss of buoyancy at low speeds and low wetted lenghts) to be unimportant. This is true for “chines-dry” operation with deadrise angles up to 50° and chines-wet operation at length to beam ratios far in excess of the most extreme conventional practice.The research involved in performing this analysis led to the realization that different towing tanks measure different wetted chine lengths for the same hulls and test conditions. Some consistently measure more splash-up than “theory” (based on Pierson's splash-up hypothesis) predicts and others measure somewhat less than the theory. Some examples are given in Appendix B. The reason for this is not understood.     

Dimethylsulfide production in Sargasso Sea eddies

Lagrangian time series of dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations from a cyclonic and an anticyclonic eddy in the Sargasso Sea were used in conjunction with measured DMS loss rates and a model of vertical mixing to estimate gross DMS production in the upper 60 m during summer 2004. Loss terms included biological consumption, photolysis, and ventilation to the atmosphere. The time- and depth (0–60 m)-averaged gross DMS production was estimated to be 0.73±0.09 nM d⁻¹ in the cyclonic eddy and 0.90±0.15 nM d⁻¹ in the anticyclonic eddy, with respective DMS replacement times of 5±1 and 6±1 d. The higher estimated rate of gross production and lower measured loss rate constants in the anticyclonic eddy were equally responsible for this eddy's 50% higher DMS inventory (0–60 m). When normalized to chlorophyll and total dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), estimated gross production in the anticyclonic eddy was about twice that in the cyclonic eddy, consistent with the greater fraction of phytoplankton that were DMSP producers in the anticyclonic eddy. Higher rates of gross production were estimated below the mixed layer, contributing to the subsurface DMS maximum found in both eddies. In both eddies, gas exchange, microbial consumption, and photolysis were roughly equal DMS loss terms in the surface mixed layer (0.2–0.4 nM d⁻¹). Vertical mixing was a substantial source of DMS to the surface mixed layer in both eddies (0.2–0.3 nM d⁻¹) owing to the relatively high DMS concentrations below the mixed layer. Estimated net biological DMS production rates (gross production minus microbial consumption) in the mixed layer were substantially lower (by almost a factor of 3) than those estimated in a previous study of the Sargasso Sea, which may explain the relatively low mixed-layer DMS concentrations found here during July 2004 (3 nM) compared to previous summers (4–6 nM).     

Thorium isotopes as tracers of particles dynamics and deep water circulation in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean (ANTARES IV)

Dissolved and particulate samples were collected to study the distribution of thorium isotopes (²³⁴Th, ²³²Th and ²³⁰Th) in the water column of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean (from 42°S to 47°S and from 60°E to 66°E, north of the Polar Front) during Austral summer 1999. Vertical profiles of excess ²³⁰Th (²³⁰Th_xs) increases linearly with depth in surface water (0–100 m) and a model was applied to estimate a residence time relative to the thorium scavenging (τ_scav). Low τ_scav in the Polar Front Zone (PFZ) are found, compared to those estimated in the Subtropical Front Zone (STZ). Changes in particle composition between the PFZ and STZ could influence the ²³⁰Th_xs scavenging efficiency and explain this difference. An innovative coupling between ²³⁴Th and ²³⁰Th_xs was then used to simultaneously constrain the settling velocities of small (0.6–60 μm) and large (above 60 μm) particles. Although the different hydrological and biogeochemical regimes visited during the ANTARES IV cruise did not explain the spatial variation of sinking velocity estimates, our results indicate that less particles may reach the seafloor north (60 ± 2 m d^− 1, station 8) than south of the Agulhas Return Current (119 ± 23 and 130 ± 5 m d^− 1 at stations 3 and 7, respectively). This information is essential for understanding particle transport and by extension, carbon export. In the deep water column, the ²³⁰Th_xs concentrations did not increase linearly with depth, probably due to lateral transport of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) from the Atlantic to the Indian sector, which renews the deep waters and decreases the ²³⁰Th_xs concentrations. A specific ²³⁰Th_xs transport model is applied in the deep water column and allows us to assess a “travel time” of NADW ranging from 2 to 15 years.     

A seasonal carbon budget for the sub-Antarctic Ocean, South of Australia

Changes from winter (July) to summer (February) in mixed layer carbon tracers and nutrients measured in the sub-Antarctic zone (SAZ), south of Australia, were used to derive a seasonal carbon budget. The region showed a strong winter to summer decrease in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC;  45 µmol/kg) and fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO₂;  25 µatm), and an increase in stable carbon isotopic composition of DIC (δ¹³C_DIC;  0.5‰), based on data collected between November 1997 and July 1999.The observed mixed layer changes are due to a combination of ocean mixing, air–sea exchange of CO₂, and biological carbon production and export. After correction for mixing, we find that DIC decreases by up to 42 ± 3 µmol/kg from winter (July) to summer (February), with δ¹³C_DIC enriched by up to 0.45 ± 0.05‰ for the same period. The enrichment of δ¹³C_DIC between winter and summer is due to the preferential uptake of ¹²CO₂ by marine phytoplankton during photosynthesis. Biological processes dominate the seasonal carbon budget (≈ 80%), while air–sea exchange of CO₂ (≈ 10%) and mixing (≈ 10%) have smaller effects. We found the seasonal amplitude of fCO₂ to be about half that of a study undertaken during 1991–1995 [Metzl, N., Tilbrook, B. and Poisson, A., 1999. The annual fCO₂ cycle and the air–sea CO₂ flux in the sub-Antarctic Ocean. Tellus Series B—Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 51(4): 849–861.] for the same region, indicating that SAZ may undergo significant inter-annual variations in surface fCO₂. The seasonal DIC depletion implies a minimum biological carbon export of 3400 mmol C/ m² from July to February. A comparison with nutrient changes indicates that organic carbon export occurs close to Redfield values (ΔP:ΔN:ΔC = 1:16:119). Extrapolating our estimates to the circumpolar sub-Antarctic Ocean implies a minimum organic carbon export of 0.65 GtC from the July to February period, about 5–7% of estimates of global export flux. Our estimate for biological carbon export is an order of magnitude greater than anthropogenic CO₂ uptake in the same region and suggests that changes in biological export in the region may have large implications for future CO₂ uptake by the ocean.     

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on microbial alteration of sinking fecal pellets

We used a new experimental device called PASS (PArticle Sinking Simulator) during MedFlux to simulate changes in in situ hydrostatic pressure that particles experience sinking from mesopelagic to bathypelagic depths. Particles, largely fecal pellets, were collected at 200 m using a settling velocity NetTrap (SV NetTrap) in Ligurian Sea in April 2006 and incubated in high-pressure bottles (HPBs) of the PASS system under both atmospheric and continuously increasing pressure conditions, simulating the pressure change experienced at a sinking rate of 200 m d⁻¹. Chemical changes over time were evaluated by measuring particulate organic carbon (POC), carbohydrates, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), amino acids, lipids, and chloropigments, as well as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved carbohydrates. Microbial changes were evaluated microscopically, using diamidinophenylindole (DAPI) stain for total cell counts and catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) for phylogenetic distinctions. Concentrations (normalized to POC) of particulate chloropigments, carbohydrates and TEP decreased under both sets of incubation conditions, although less under the increasing pressure regime than under atmospheric conditions. By contrast, dissolved carbohydrates (normalized to DOC) were higher after incubation and significantly higher under atmospheric conditions, suggesting they were produced at the expense of the particulate fraction. POC-normalized particulate wax/steryl esters increased only under pressure, suggesting biochemical responses of prokaryotes to the increasing pressure regime. The prokaryotic community initially consisted of 43% Bacteria, 12% Crenarchaea and 11% Euryarchaea. After incubation, Bacteria dominated (90%) the prokaryote community in all cases, with γ-Proteobacteria comprising the greatest fraction, followed by the Cytophaga–Flavobacter cluster and α-Proteobacteria group. Using the PASS system, we obtained chemical and microbial evidence that degradation by prokaryotes associated with fecal pellets sinking through mesopelagic waters is limited by the increasing pressure they experience.     

Nutrient and carbon removal ratios and fluxes in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Net community production (NCP) and nutrient deficits (Def(X)) were calculated using decreases in dissolved CO₂ and nutrient concentrations due to biological removal in the upper 200 m of the water column during four cruises in the Ross Sea, Antarctica along 76°30′S in 1996 and 1997. A comparison to excess dissolved and particulate organic carbon showed close agreement between surplus total organic carbon (TOC) and NCP during bloom initiation and productivity maximum; however, when TOC values had returned to low wintertime values NCP was still significantly above zero. This seasonal NCP, 3.9±1 mol C m⁻², must be equivalent to the particle export to depths greater than 200 m over the whole productive season. We estimate that the annual export was 55±22% of the seasonal maximum in NCP. The fraction of the seasonal maximum NCP that is exported through 200 m is significantly higher than that measured by moored sediment traps at a depth of 206 m. The removal of carbon, nitrate and phosphate (based on nutrient disappearance since early spring) and their ratios showed significant differences between regions dominated by diatoms and regions dominated by the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica. While the ΔC/ΔN removal ratio was similar (7.8±0.2 for diatoms and 7.2±0.1 for P. antarctica), the ΔN/ΔP and ΔC/ΔP removal ratios for diatoms (10.1±0.3 and 80.5±2.3) were significantly smaller than those of P. antarctica (18.6±0.4 and 134.0±4.7). The similarity in ΔC/ΔN removal ratios of the two assemblages suggests that preferential uptake of phosphate by diatoms caused the dramatic differences in ΔC/ΔP and ΔN/ΔP removal ratios. In contrast to low ΔC/ΔP and ΔN/ΔP removal ratio in diatom-dominated areas early in the growing season, deficit N/P and C/P ratios in late autumn indicate that the elemental stochiometry of exported organic matter did not deviate significantly from traditional Redfield ratios. Changes in biologically utilized nutrient and carbon ratios over the course of the growing season indicated either a substantial remineralization of phosphate or a decrease in phosphate removal relative to carbon and total inorganic nitrogen over the bloom period. The species dependence in C/P ratios, and the relative constancy in the C/N ratios, makes N a better proxy of biological utilization of CO₂.     

Constraining the propagation of bomb-radiocarbon through the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in the northeast Pacific Ocean

This study extends the 1991-1995 records of marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and Δ¹⁴C values at hydrographic Station M (34°50′N, 123°00′W) with new measurements from a frozen (-20 °C) archive of samples collected between April 1998 and October 2004. The magnitudes and synchronicity of major Δ¹⁴C anomalies throughout the time-series imply transport of DOC from the surface ocean to depths of at least 450 m on the timescale of months. Keeling plots of all measurements at Station M predict a continuum of possible background DOC compositions containing at least 21 μM of -1000‰ (i.e., ≥57,000 ¹⁴C years) DOC, but are more consistent with mean deep DOC (38 μM, -549‰; i.e., 6,400 ¹⁴C years). These results and coral records of surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) Δ¹⁴C were used to estimate pre-bomb DOC Δ¹⁴C depth profiles. The combined results indicate that bomb-¹⁴C has penetrated the DOC pool to depths of ≥450 m, though the signal at that depth is obscured by short-term variability.     

Dissolved iron in the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean (CLIVAR SR3 section): Meridional and seasonal trends

We report measurements of dissolved iron (dFe, <0.4 μm) in seawater collected from the upper 300 m of the water column along the CLIVAR SR3 section south of Tasmania in March 1998 (between 42°S and 54°S) and November–December 2001 (between 47°S and 66°S). Results from both cruises indicate a general north-to-south decrease in mixed-layer dFe concentrations, from values as high as 0.76 nM in the Subtropical Front to uniformly low concentrations (<0.1 nM) between the Polar Front and the Antarctic continental shelf. Samples collected from the seasonal sea-ice zone in November–December 2001 provide no evidence of significant dFe inputs from the melting pack ice, which may explain the absence of pronounced ice-edge algal blooms in this sector of the Southern Ocean, as implied by satellite ocean-color images. Our data also allow us to infer changes in the dFe concentration of surface waters during the growing season. South of the Polar Front, a comparison of near-surface with subsurface (150 m depth) dFe concentrations in November–December 2001 suggests a net seasonal biological uptake of at least 0.14–0.18 nM dFe, of which 0.05–0.12 nM is depleted early in the growing season (before mid December). A comparison of our spring 2001 and fall 1998 data indicates a barely discernible seasonal depletion of dFe (0.03 nM) within the Polar Frontal Zone. Further north, most of our iron profiles do not exhibit near-surface depletions, and mixed-layer dFe concentrations are sometimes higher in samples from fall 1998 compared to spring 2001; here, the near-surface dFe distributions appear to be dominated by time-varying inputs of aerosol iron or advection of iron-rich subtropical waters from the north.     

Potential effects of temperature on the benthic infaunal community on the southeastern Bering Sea shelf: Possible impacts of climate change

In the late 1950s, Soviet researchers collected benthic infaunal samples from the southeastern Bering Sea shelf. Approximately 17 years later, researchers at University of Alaska Fairbanks also sampled the region to assess infaunal biomass and abundance. Here, the two data sets were examined to document patterns and reveal any consistent differences in infaunal biomass among major feeding groups between the two time periods. No significant differences in the geometric mean biomass of all taxa pooled were indicated between the two study periods (1958–1959=49.1 g m⁻²; 1975–1976=60.8 g m⁻²; P=0.14); however, significant differences were observed for specific functional groups, namely carnivores, omnivores and surface detritivores. Of the 64 families identified from both data sets from all functional groups, 21 showed statistically significant (P0.05) differences in mean biomass. Of the 21 families showing significant differences, 19 (91%) of the families had higher mean biomass in the 1975–1976 data set. The above differences suggest a trend toward higher overall infaunal biomass for specific functional groups during mid 1970s compared with the late 1950s. Temperature measurements and literature data indicate that the mid-1970s was an unusually cold period relative to the period before and after, suggesting a mechanistic link between temperature changes and infaunal biomass. Food-web relationships and ecosystem dynamics in the southeastern Bering Sea indicate that during cold periods, infaunal biomass will be elevated relative to warm periods due to elevated carbon flux to the benthos and exclusion of benthic predators on infaunal invertebrates by the cold bottom water on the shelf. As long-term observations of temperature and sea-ice cover indicate a secular warming trend on the Bering Sea shelf, the potential changes in food-web relationships could markedly alter trophic structure and energy flow to apex consumers, potentially impacting the commercial, tourist and subsistence economies.