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Remineralization of particulate organic carbon in an ocean oxygen minimum zone

Author

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  • E. L. Cavan

    (National Oceanography Centre
    University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre
    Present address: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7005, Australia)

  • M. Trimmer

    (Queen Mary University London)

  • F. Shelley

    (Queen Mary University London)

  • R. Sanders

    (National Oceanography Centre)

Abstract

Biological oceanic processes, principally the surface production, sinking and interior remineralization of organic particles, keep atmospheric CO2 lower than if the ocean was abiotic. The remineralization length scale (RLS, the vertical distance over which organic particle flux declines by 63%, affected by particle respiration, fragmentation and sinking rates) controls the size of this effect and is anomalously high in oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). Here we show in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific OMZ 70% of POC remineralization is due to microbial respiration, indicating that the high RLS is the result of lower particle fragmentation by zooplankton, likely due to the almost complete absence of zooplankton particle interactions in OMZ waters. Hence, the sensitivity of zooplankton to ocean oxygen concentrations can have direct implications for atmospheric carbon sequestration. Future expansion of OMZs is likely to increase biological ocean carbon storage and act as a negative feedback on climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • E. L. Cavan & M. Trimmer & F. Shelley & R. Sanders, 2017. "Remineralization of particulate organic carbon in an ocean oxygen minimum zone," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms14847
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14847
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    Cited by:

    1. Trang T. H. Nguyen & Emily J. Zakem & Ali Ebrahimi & Julia Schwartzman & Tolga Caglar & Kapil Amarnath & Uria Alcolombri & François J. Peaudecerf & Terence Hwa & Roman Stocker & Otto X. Cordero & Naom, 2022. "Microbes contribute to setting the ocean carbon flux by altering the fate of sinking particulates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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