Biogeochemical fluxes through microzooplankton

Buitenhuis, Erik T.; Rivkin, Richard B.; Sailley, Sévrine; Le Quéré, Corinne. 2010 Biogeochemical fluxes through microzooplankton. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 24 (4), GB4015. 16, pp. 10.1029/2009GB003601

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Abstract/Summary

[1] Microzooplankton ingest a significant fraction of primary production in the ocean and thus remineralize nutrients and stimulate regenerated primary production. We synthesized observations on microzooplankton carbon-specific grazing rate, partitioning of grazed material, respiration rate, microzooplankton biomass, microzooplankton-mediated phytoplankton mortality rate, and phytoplankton growth rate. We used these observations to parameterize and evaluate the microzooplankton compartment in a global biogeochemical model that represents five plankton functional types. Microzooplankton biomasses predicted in this simulation are closer to the independently derived evaluation data than in the previous model version. Most rates, including primary production, microzooplankton grazing, and export of sinking detritus are within observational constraints. However, the model underestimates microzooplankton and mesozooplankton biomasses and chlorophyll concentrations. Thus, we propose that sufficient carbon enters the model ecosystem, but insufficient carbon is retained. For microzooplankton, the low retention of carbon could be improved by parameterizing the model with ciliate gross growth efficiency only, indicating that ciliates may contribute more to microzooplankton activity than their biomass contribution suggests. By taking into account the model underestimation of biomass, we estimate that the ocean inventory of microzooplankton biomass is 0.24 Pg C (a range of 0.14-0.33 Pg C), which is similar to the biomass of mesozooplankton.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/2009GB003601
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Other Special Projects
ISSN:	0886-6236
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Biology and Microbiology Chemistry
Date made live:	04 Mar 2011 14:25 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/13038

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1029/2009GB003601

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Other Special Projects

ISSN:

0886-6236

NORA Subject Terms:

Marine Sciences
Biology and Microbiology
Chemistry

Date made live:

04 Mar 2011 14:25 +0 (UTC)