南海南部活体浮游有孔虫分布特征及其影响因素初探

通过对2002年5月采自南海南部海区11个站位20个垂直分层浮游拖网样品的浮游有孔虫组成和分布特征的初步分析,发现该区表层水体中浮游有孔虫分布广泛,共鉴定属种20种,以热带暖水种占绝对优势,广适应性冷水种有零星出现。深水种Globorotalia menardii在南海南部50 m水层中广泛出现,但壳体相对较小,壳壁较薄。该区0—50m水层活体浮游有孔虫丰度范围为(6 138—64 174)枚.1 000 m-3海水,大致呈西高东低的分布趋势,在西南部浅水区和西北部上升流区丰度最高,与表层水体的营养水平密切相关。将水样浮游有孔虫分布数据与该海区23个站位表层沉积样数据进行对比分析,发现遗壳浮游有孔虫与活体的分布关系密切,虽然在种属丰度以及分布范围等方面有明显差异,但两者具有相似的优势种组合。主要差异在于水体中浮游有孔虫优势种相对丰度差异较大,易溶种Hastigerina pelagica含量较高,而遗壳中浮游有孔虫各种属分布趋向于均匀化。此外,陆源物质的释稀作用对沉积物中的有孔虫丰度分布有明显的控制作用。     

南海北部表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫分布特征与环境意义

对南海北部12°以北海域表层沉积物中的浮游有孔虫丰度、属种数量与组合、碳酸盐含量以及硅质生物相对丰度等进行了分析和鉴定,结果表明:随水深的增加,浮游有孔虫的丰度降低、属种数量减少,碳酸盐含量降低,硅质生物相对丰度升高,浮游有孔虫优势种由易溶种转变为抗溶种。浮游有孔虫以及碳酸盐含量等的这些变化与深海碳酸盐的溶解作用密切相关,同时,浊流沉积作用和水团等环境因素也是影响浮游有孔虫丰度与组合以及碳酸盐含量变化的重要因子。     

Downward flux of zooplankton fecal pellets in the upper 2,000 m water column of the Izu Trench,western North Pacific

Sinking particulate matter were obtained from twelve depths using free-drifting sediment trap arrays which were deployed in the upper 2,000 m water column of the Izu Trench, northwest Pacific Ocean. The largest flux of 146 mgC m^–2 day^–1 was observed at 150 m depth. The flux generally decreased with depth below the maximum, however, minor flux peaks occurred at 1,000 and 1,250 m depth (>30 mgC m^–2 day^–1). Sinking large particles (>100 µm) were composed of fecal pellets typical of crustaceans, macroscopic aggregates, and planktonic organisms and their fragments. Three major components constituted 19%, 20% and 29%, respectively, of the total carbon flux (averaged from the fluxes at five depths; 50, 100, 150, 1,000 and 2,000 m). Among them, fecal pellet flux and large organism flux were well correlated with the total flux. The close correspondence between the fecal flux and the total carbon flux suggests that the latter is derived from a group of variables including other biogenic matter, among which fecal pellet is one of the leading factors controlling total flux, though the latter is only a minor covariable in quantity. Vertical flux profiles of fecal pellets and their internal constituents revealed some new inputs of feces occurring through the water column. This phenomenon implies that downward transportation of organic material is characterized by feeding and egestion activities of zooplankton, including overlapping processes of sinking and dispersion of large fecal particles and repackaging of dispersed small particles.     

南海东北部表层沉答中微体化石与碳酸盐溶跃面和补偿深度

通过对南海东北部(12°～22°N,116°～122°E)表层沉积中的浮游有孔虫、底栖有孔虫、钙质超微化石、硅质与钙质生物丰度和比值的定量分析以及碳酸盐含量的测定,发现碳酸盐含量、浮游有孔虫、钙质超微化石丰度以及钙质生物比值随水深的增大迅速减小,而底栖有孔虫占有孔虫全群的比值和硅质生物比值以及底栖有孔虫胶结质壳类的百分含量却随水深的增大迅速增加.研究表明,调查区内微体化石丰度和比值以及碳酸钙含量的高低,与碳酸盐溶跃面(lysocline)和碳酸盐补偿深度密切相关,碳酸盐溶跃面和碳酸盐补偿深度南、北还存在一定差异,碳酸盐溶跃面南部较北部深,南部在2600m上下,北部则在2200m上下;碳酸盐补偿深度也是南部的较深,南部为3 600 m上下,而北部在3 400 m上下。     

Seasonal Response of Planktonic Foraminifera to Surface Ocean Condition: Sediment Trap Results from the Central North Pacific Ocean

The fluxes of planktonic foraminifera (calcareous shell producing zooplankton) were examined in order to clarify temporal and regional variations in production in the upper ocean in relation to hydrographic conditions. Three time-series sediment traps were deployed in the central North Pacific along 175°E for about one year, beginning in June 1993. Trap sites were located in the subarctic, the transition, and the subtropical water masses, from north to south. The southernmost site was under the influence of the transition zone in January to May. Both temporal and regional fluxes of planktonic foraminifera showed large variations during the experiment. In the subarctic water mass, high total foraminiferal fluxes (TFFs) and high organic matter fluxes (OMFs) were observed during summer to fall, suggesting that food availability is the most important factor for the production of planktonic foraminifera. Furthermore, low TFFs during winter were ascribed to low food availability and low temperatures. The OMFs and TFFs correlated well and increased rapidly after the disruption of the seasonal thermocline during winter, peaking in late February to early March in the transition zone. In the subtropical water mass, both OMFs and TFFs remained low due to lower productivity under oligotrophic conditions. In general, TFFs show a positive correlation with OMFs during the trap experiment, suggesting that food availability is one of the factors controlling the production of planktonic foraminifera in the central North Pacific. Relatively low TFFs during summer to fall in the subtropical water mass may be caused by the thermal structure of the upper ocean. Low SST possibly reduces the production of foraminifera during winter in the subarctic region.     

Foraminiferal shell-weight evidence for sedimentary calcite dissolution above the lysocline

Shell-weight measurements were carried out on planktonic foraminifera G. sacculifer and G. ruber specimens from coretop depth transects in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean to investigate calcite dissolution above the lysocline. The results suggest that foraminifera deposited in sediments overlain by supersaturated bottom water undergo considerable dissolution at the sediment–water interface and that the calcite saturation state at the interface is considerably offset from that of bottom water. Also, the extent of exposure to undersaturated conditions at the interface is not constant. Rather, it increases towards the surface ocean, i.e. towards shallow marine sediments where the organic matter flux is expected to be higher. It is proposed that the benthic fluff layer at the sediment–water interface represents a zone of undersaturation through which the foraminifera pass prior to deeper burial, and that the residence time of foraminifera within this zone of intense organic matter respiration is long enough to result in significant decreases in shell weight.     

Sinking Particle Flux in the Subtropical Oligotrophic Northwestern Pacific from a Short-term Sediment Trap Experiment

Time-series sediment traps were deployed in the subtropical oligotrophic northwestern Pacific (SONP) at three depths from August to September 2015 to better understand vertical flux of sinking particles. Sinking particles were collected at 5-day intervals over the sediment trap deployment period. The average total mass flux at water depths of 400 m, 690 m, and 1,710 m was 9.1, 4.4, and 4.1 mg m^-2day^-1, respectively. CaCO₃ materials constituted 50 to 70% of sinking particles while in comparison particulate organic carbon (POC) constituted up to 20%. A synchronous variation of total mass flux was observed at the three depths, indicating that calcite-dominated particles sank from 400 to 1,710 m within a 5-day period. POC flux at these water depths was 2.4, 0.38, and 0.31 mg m^-2day^-1, respectively. Our results indicate low transfer efficiencies of 16% from 400 to 690 m and 13% for the 400 to 1,710 m depth range. The estimated transfer efficiencies were significantly lower than those observed at the K2 station in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre, presumably because of a prevalence of pico-cyanobacteria in the SONP. Because cyanobacteria have a semi-permeable proteinaceous shell, they are more readily remineralized by bacteria than are siliceous phytoplankton in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre. Continued surface water warming and expansion of the SONP will likely have a profound impact on ocean acidification in the northwest Pacific, possibly affecting the transfer efficiency of sinking POC to the deep-sea.     

东北太平洋胡安·德富卡隆起西翼晚第四纪以来的碳酸盐记录

通过对东北太平洋胡安·德富卡隆起西翼沉积柱样中的碳酸盐含量和浮游有孔虫氧同位素测试以及浮游有孔虫丰度、溶解指数和粗组分的统计,发现在晚第四纪约65 ka以来碳酸盐含量变化幅度大(0 4%~77 2%),相差非常悬殊,但其变化未呈现出冰期时溶解作用减弱、间冰期时溶解作用强烈这样明显的旋回性。粗组分分析结果显示,地层中有明显的浊流沉积发育。另外,碳酸盐含量和浮游有孔虫丰度分析结果揭露了研究区的 CCD在3 500 m左右。研究认为,在约65 ka来水深浅于3 500 m的区域碳酸盐含量的无规律性变化应与浊流沉积影响有直接的关系,而水深深于3 500 m的区域碳酸盐含量主要受控于深海碳酸盐的溶解作用。     

Distribution patterns of Recent planktonic foraminifera in surface sediments of the western continental margin of India

Study of Recent planktonic foraminifera from the surface sediment samples of western continental margin of India reveals the ecological preferences of the different planktonic foraminifer species in the area. Higher absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore associated with the lower frequencies of the productivity indicator Globigerinoides bulloides and lower absolute abundance in the nearshore with higher frequencies of G. bulloides appears to suggest that productivity does not control the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera in this area. In general, the difference in absolute abundance between offshore and nearshore indicates that the dilution by terrigenous and other biogenic (benthic foraminifera and diatoms) material governs the absolute abundance of planktonic foraminifera.

Globigerinoides sacculifer shows a significant positive correlation with salinity and a negative correlation with temperature, which reflects its preference for higher salinity and lower temperature of the surface water. Globigerinoides ruber abundances are related to a distinct highly saline Persian Gulf water mass in the eastern Arabian Sea. Neogloboquadrina butertrei shows a strong inverse relationship with surface water salinity in the eastern Arabian Sea. Therefore, the relative abundance variations of N. dutertrei in sediment cores of the southeastern Arabian Sea can be used to reconstruct the past surface water salinity, which varies according to the strength of the northeastern monsoon.

The high diversity of planktonic foraminifera in the offshore is attributable to equitable environmental conditions. The high-salinity surface waters ( > 36‰) and terrigenous dilution in the northeastern Arabian Sea limit the diversification of species in this region.     

Benthic Foraminifera as ecological indicators for water quality on the Great Barrier Reef

Benthic foraminifera are established indicators for Water Quality (WQ) in Florida and the Caribbean. However, nearshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and other Pacific regions are also subjected to increased nutrient and sediment loads. Here, we investigate the use of benthic foraminifera as indicators to assess status and trends of WQ on GBR reefs. We quantified several sediment parameters and the foraminiferan assemblage composition on 20 reefs in four geographic regions of the GBR, and along a water column nutrient and turbidity gradient. Twenty-seven easily recognisable benthic foraminiferan taxa (>63 μm) were distinguished. All four geographic regions differed significantly (p < 0.05, ANOSIM) in their assemblage composition, and a redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that sediment parameters only explained a small proportion of the variance in the assemblage composition. On nine reefs along a previously studied water quality gradient, foraminifera showed a distinct shift in assemblage composition towards larger symbiont-bearing taxa from turbid inner shelf towards clearer outer shelf reefs. A RDA separated symbiotic and aposymbiotic (heterotrophic) taxa. In addition, total suspended solid and water column chlorophyll a concentrations were negatively correlated, and optical depth and distance to the mainland were positively correlated, with the abundance of symbiont-bearing taxa. Several large foraminifera were identified as indicators for offshore, clear water conditions. In contrast, heterotrophic rotaliids and a species retaining plastids (Elphidium sp.) where highly characteristic for low light, higher nutrient conditions. Application of the FORAM index to GBR assemblage composition showed a significant increase in the value of this index with increased distance from the mainland in the Whitsunday region (r² = 0.75, p < 0.001), and therefore with increasing light and decreased nutrient availability. We conclude that it will be possible to apply this index to GBR and possibly other Pacific reefs after some adaptations and additional experimental work on species-specific limiting factors.     

STUDY ON FORAMINIFERA AND CaCO3 IN SEDIMENTS OF THE WESTERN MID-PACIFIC

Two cores and ten surface sediment samples were taken in the western area of Mid-Pacific during the investigation from December 1978 to July 1979. According to the analysis of planktonic foraminifera and CaCO3 in the surface samples, the investigated area is divided into three different sediment regions. The initial depth of lysocline of this area is estimated at about 3500 m and the CaCO3 compensation depth (CCD) is 5000 m. The water depth of the sediment core at L2016 is 2705 m and it is located above the lysocline. The sediments belong to white plank-tonic foraminiferal ooze. The evolution of paleoclimate is studied according to the variation of the following three parameters: the abundance value of the species indicating warm of planktonic fo-riminifera, the solution index and the determination of the paleotemperature carve of δ13O. The age of 4.2 in-long core is estimated at about 300,000 years BP according to the extinct time of the pink shell G. rubra, and the comparison between cores.     

‘Live’ benthic foraminifera at an abyssal site in the equatorial Pacific nodule province: Abundance,diversity and taxonomic composition

Replicate sediment samples were obtained from 3 closely spaced stations in the Kaplan East (KE) area of the abyssal eastern Equatorial Pacific (∼15°N, 119°W; ∼4100 m water depth), just below the carbonate compensation depth. At each site, 2 (Stns 827, 838) or 3 (Stn 824) complete cores (57 mm i.d.) were subsampled using 2–3 cut-off syringes of 6.6 cm³ cross-sectional area. The 0–1 cm sediment layers (>32 μm fraction) of these 20 subsamples together yielded 12,513 small, rose-Bengal stained benthic foraminifera dominated by agglutinated taxa, most of them morphologically simple monothalamous types or komokiaceans. Almost two-thirds (65%) of specimens were either obvious fragments, mainly of komokiaceans and tubular foraminifera, or single chambers or small groups of chambers believed to be fragments of very fragile komokiaceans. The remaining 4438 specimens (35%) were considered to be complete individuals. Most (78%) of these complete tests were indeterminate agglutinated spheres (termed ‘psammosphaerids’) that constituted 27.6% of all specimens (complete plus fragments). Complete individuals that could be assigned to either described or undescribed species accounted for 983 specimens (22% of complete tests=7.6% of all specimens); only 26 specimens (0.59% of complete individuals) were calcareous and these had invariably lost their tests through dissolution. Some groups exhibited considerable spatial heterogeneity. For example, 45% of the 3455 indeterminate psammosphaerids and 45% of the 3087 Komokiacean-like chambers occurred in single subcores. A total of 252 morphospecies was recognised; 168 were represented by complete individuals and 84 by fragments. There are clear differences between these Pacific assemblages and those from other oceans; in particular, psammosphaerids and isolated komokiacean chambers appear to be much more prevalent in the Pacific compared to the Atlantic Ocean. Some morphospecies present in Kaplan samples are known from the Atlantic but many are not. Such species may either (1) be ubiquitous but undersampled because they are rare or (2) have geographically patterned distributions. Without further sampling, there is no way to distinguish between these 2 possibilities. Fossilisable tests represent a very small component of the KE assemblage. Many of the delicate, monothalamous species that have little fossilisation potential, including the komokiaceans, accumulate stercomata (waste pellets) and may consume organic material and bacteria associated with sediment. Because of their enormous abundance at abyssal depths, these poorly known taxa probably play a substantial role in carbon cycling over vast areas of the Pacific seafloor.     

白令海和楚科奇海表层沉积中的有孔虫及其沉积环境

通过对白令海和北冰洋楚科奇海39个表层沉积样品中有孔虫的定量分析,发现表层沉积中浮游有孔虫稀少可能与该区表层生产力低、碳酸盐溶解作用较强有关,而底栖有孔虫的分布则主要受表层初级生产力以及与水深相关的碳酸盐溶解作用和水团性质所控制,其中北冰洋楚科奇海陆架区有孔虫以Elphidium spp.组合和Nonionella robusta组合为主,丰度和分异度低,受北冰洋沿岸水团控制;白令海陆坡区有孔虫以Uvigerina peregrina-Globobulimina affinis组合为主,含N.robusta较多,丰度和分异度相对高,受太平洋中层和深层水团控制,但该区碳酸盐溶跃层和补偿深度(CCD)相对浅,约分别位于2000和3800m处.此外,白令海陆坡上部表层沉积中含有北冰洋陆坡区典型深水底栖有孔虫种Stetsonia arctica,说明白令海峡两侧的海区曾有深部水交流.     

Benthic Disturbance and Impact Experiments in the Central Indian Ocean Basin

As a part of the Environmental Impact Assessment studies for nodule mining, a long-term program has been initiated in the Central Indian Basin. Multidisciplinary studies on geological, biological, physical, and chemical parameters were carried out in an area selected on the basis of baseline data collected in the first phase of the program. A benthic disturbance was simulated with a hydraulic device also used in the previous experiments in the Pacific Ocean. A site of 3,000 ×200 m was repeatedly disturbed by a combination of fluidizing pump and suction pump to dislodge and discharge sediment from the seafloor into the water column 5 m above the seafloor. During 9 days of operation, 26 tows were carried out for 47 h of disturbance, resuspending about 6,000 m 3 of sediment along an 88-km line. Data for postdisturbance impact assessment were collected with sediment traps, deep-towed cameras, seafloor samples, and conductivity-temperature depth sensor (CTD)-rosette observations. Seafloor data, sediment samples, and water column studies were aimed at evaluating the impact of benthic disturbance, on the basis of pre- and postdisturbance data collected during the experiment. Observations show that vertical mixing of sediment as well as its lateral movement and resedimentation because of plume migration alters various parameters and leads to changes in the environment around the area.     

Effect of iron enrichment on the dynamics of transparent exopolymer particles in the western subarctic Pacific

Dynamics of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) was studied during the first in situ iron-enrichment experiment conducted in the western subarctic Pacific in July–August 2001, with the goal of evaluating the contribution of TEP to vertical flux as a result of increased primary production following iron enrichment in open ocean ecosystems. Subsequent to the enhancement of phytoplankton production, we observed increase in TEP concentration in the surface layer and sedimentation of organic matter beneath it. Vertical profiles of TEP, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were obtained from six depths between 5 and 70 m, from a station each located inside and outside the enriched patch. TEP and total mass flux were estimated from the floating sediment traps deployed at 200 m depth. Chl a and TEP concentrations outside the patch varied from 0.2 to 1.9 μg L⁻¹ and 40–60 μg XG equiv. L⁻¹, respectively. Inside the patch, Chl a increased drastically from day 7 reaching the peak of 19.2 μg L⁻¹ on day 13, which coincided with the TEP peak of 189 μg XG equiv. L⁻¹. TEP flux in the sediment trap increased from 41 to 88 mg XG equiv. m⁻² d⁻¹, with 8–14% contribution of TEP to total mass flux. This forms the basic data set on ambient concentrations of TEP in the western subarctic Pacific, and evaluation of the effect of iron enrichment on TEP.     

Particulate Flux and Cd/P Ratio of Particulate Material in the Pacific Ocean

Time-series Mark 7 sediment traps were deployed at three stations at 0°N, 13°N and 48°N along 175°E to investigate seasonal and spatial variations of particulate material flux. Chemical analysis of particulate material was performed for four major chemical components, viz. opal, CaCO₃, organic material and clay minerals, Cd and P in the particulate material were also determined. We discuss the characteristics of particulate material at each site and the transportation of Cd and P to deep water by the particulate material. The total mass fluxes and variation of fluxes at each site reflect oceanographic conditions, such as biological productivity and kind of major planktonic organisms. At the northern site, large mass fluxes with a spring bloom and high ratios of opal are characteristic. Relatively small mass fluxes with high ratios of CaCO₃ are distinct, and dissolution of CaCO₃ due to sinking is recognized in the middle latitude and 0°N sites. The larger flux at the lower trap than the upper trap at the equatorial site suggests influence by lateral transport in the deep water. Distinctive decreasing Cd/P ratio and CaCO₃ concentrations in the particulate material with increasing depth suggests that the change of Cd/P ratio in the intermediate and deep water occurs through the dissolution of CaCO₃. The dissolved Cd/P ratios in the deep water are proportional to the age of the deep water in the Atlantic but not in the Pacific. This is explained by the difference of kinds of particulate material transporting Cd and P in the deep water between the oceans. That is, the major planktonic organisms are planktons of CaCO₃ tests in the Atlantic Ocean and diatoms of opal tests in the North Pacific Ocean.     

珠江口盆地表层沉积物浮游有孔虫含量与水深关系定量研究

本文对珠江口盆地１００多个表层沉积物样品进行详细的研究，排除了含明显再沉积类型的样品后，对剩余的８２个样品进行定量分析，并对鉴定结果进行计算机模拟。表明该区水深Ｄ与浮游有孔虫占整个有孔种群的个体百分含量Ｐ％之间存在如下关系：ｌｎ（Ｄ）＝３．３２＋０．０２４３Ｐ该关系适用水深浅于３１４ｍ的海区。水深区２５０ｍ以内的海区，随水深的加深，浮游有孔虫的含量迅速增加；水深超过２５０ｍ之后，浮游有孔虫渐趋稳定     

Chemical studies on organic matter and carbon cycle in the ocean

Chemistry of organic materials of the suspended and sinking particles, and the evaluation of the particulate materials for the carbon cycle of the ocean are described in this paper. Organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) of the suspended particles collected from various areas of the North through South Pacific were determined with considerably high variabilities in their concentration. Higher values of the POC and PON were obtained in the surface water of the higher latitudinal areas of both northern and southern hemispheres and the equatorial Pacific, while the lower values of these organic elements were measured in the middle latitudinal areas of the Pacific. These facts clearly indicate that inorganic nutrients supply to the surface water layers from the underlying water is primarily determinative factor to govern the concentration of the POC and PON in the surface water layer. POC and PON concentrations in the intermediate through deep waters, however, are much less variable in time and space. Carbohydrates, free and combined amino acids and lipid materials were major organic constituents of the suspended particles. The organic composition of the particles was extensively variable in region, time and depth. Such change in the organic composition was mainly caused by the production and decay of the free and combined amino acids, lipid materials and water extractable carbohydrate. Sinking particle which has high sinking rate over 100 m day⁻¹ and can be collected only by sediment trap, also consists of carbohydrates, free and combined amino acids and lipid materials. A detailed analysis of the particle indicate that the sinking particle was much different from the suspended particle from the intermediate through deep waters in terms of the abundance of the biologically susceptible organic materials such as unsaturated hydrocarbon, fatty acid and water extractable carbohydrate often found in phytoplankton. These facts clearly indicate that the sinking particle plays an important role on the vertical transport of the biologically susceptible organic materials from the surface water to the deep water. Vertical flux of organic materials in various water depths was extensively measured in the North Pacific and Antarctic Ocean using the depth-series sediment trap system to collect the sinking particles from various depths of the waters. Regional and seasonal variabilities of the organic carbon flux at the various depths were obviously observed, however the attenuation rate of the organic carbon flux in the intermediate through deep water was not changed so much irrespective of the sampling time and region. The time-series sediment trap system was also using to determine the seasonal variation of the organic carbon flux. An average organic carbon flux at 1 km depth from this trap system was almost comparable to the amount of organic carbon degraded in the water deeper than 1 km depth, which was calculated from oxygen consumption rate of the deep water. Thus, it is clear that the sinking particle must play an important role in the carbon cycle of the deep water.     

早第四纪西太平洋底栖有孔虫群与大洋深层水环流演化的关系

选取赤道西太平洋ODP 807站位(3°36.42′N,156°37.49′E,水深2 803.8m,岩心长822.9m)26.27～43.02mbsf层段中的底栖有孔虫进行研究,以便了解早更新世2.5～1.6Ma BP时期古生产力和深水环流的变化。结果显示,这一时期底栖有孔虫堆积速率(BFAR)、表生种和内生种比值(E/I)、Uvigerina spp.百分含量和有机碳百分含量(TOC%)等替代指标反映了西太平洋古生产力总体上呈现冰期高、间冰期低的特点,而其中Bulimina alazanensis的丰度变化则相反,反映了该种有可能更适合温暖、低营养的底层水环境。2.5～1.6 MaBP时期底栖有孔虫在丰度上以Uvigerina spp.为主,指示了早更新世西太平洋深层水受北部水团的控制更强。     

Settling fluxes of diatoms to the interior of the Antarctic circumpolar current along 170 °W

An array of four sediment trap moorings recorded the particulate flux across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at 170 °W, between November 1996 and January 1998, as part of the US JGOFS-Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study (AESOPS) program. The trap locations represent sampling within the Polar Frontal Zone, the Antarctic Polar Front, the Antarctic Zone and the Southern Antarctic Zone. Here we report observations from 1000 m below the sea-surface compared to seafloor and surface water distributions. Sub-sample splits from each trap were obtained and total diatom flux and species composition were determined. The diatom fluxes were quantified using both a dilution and a ‘spike’ method to allow for the rapid repeatability of measurements. Diatom flux was found to be highly seasonal across the ACC particularly at higher latitudes. Marine snow aggregates of intact diatom cells and chains were the major components of the biogenic flux. Siliceous particle size was noted to decrease with increasing latitude, which could be aligned with a shift of the diatom assemblage to small-size species/sea-ice affiliated species. A ‘double-structured’ diatom flux was recorded at the location of the Antarctic Polar Front trap, with a shift in the diatom assemblage from larger to smaller diatoms in the second flux episode. The sediment trap assemblage shows deviations from the surface water assemblage, while surface sediment samples indicate that significant dissolution occurs after 1000 m and at the sediment–water interface. Estimation of diatom biovolumes across the ACC shows that large diatoms have the potential to greatly impact biogenic fluxes to the ocean interior despite their low fluxes. Small species of the genus Fragilariopsis could potentially export as much C_org as Fragilariopsis kerguelensis near the retreating ice edge. However, their low abundance in the surface sediments also suggests that these diatoms are a shallow export species.