IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-019-09772-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Coupling carbon and energy fluxes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Author

Listed:
  • Eric Grabowski

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa
    University of Hawaii at Manoa)

  • Ricardo M. Letelier

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa
    Oregon State University)

  • Edward A. Laws

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa
    Louisiana State University)

  • David M. Karl

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa
    University of Hawaii at Manoa)

Abstract

The major biogeochemical cycles of marine ecosystems are driven by solar energy. Energy that is initially captured through photosynthesis is transformed and transported to great ocean depths via complex, yet poorly understood, energy flow networks. Herein we show that the chemical composition and specific energy (Joules per unit mass or organic carbon) of sinking particulate matter collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre reveal dramatic changes in the upper 500 m of the water column as particles sink and age. In contrast to these upper water column processes, particles reaching the deep sea (4000 m) are energy-replete with organic carbon-specific energy values similar to surface phytoplankton. These enigmatic results suggest that the particles collected in the abyssal zone must be transported by rapid sinking processes. These fast-sinking particles control the pace of deep-sea benthic communities that live a feast-or-famine existence in an otherwise energy-depleted habitat.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Grabowski & Ricardo M. Letelier & Edward A. Laws & David M. Karl, 2019. "Coupling carbon and energy fluxes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-09772-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09772-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09772-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-09772-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-09772-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.