nerc.ac.uk

Deep ocean communities impacted by changing climate over 24 y in the abyssal northeast Pacific Ocean

Smith, K.L.; Ruhl, H.A.; Kahru, M.; Huffard, C.L.; Sherman, A.D.. 2013 Deep ocean communities impacted by changing climate over 24 y in the abyssal northeast Pacific Ocean. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110 (49). 19838-19841. 10.1073/pnas.1315447110

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.
[thumbnail of 19838.full.pdf]
Preview
Text
19838.full.pdf

Download (634kB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

The deep ocean, covering a vast expanse of the globe, relies almost exclusively on a food supply originating from primary production in surface waters. With well-documented warming of oceanic surface waters and conflicting reports of increasing and decreasing primary production trends, questions persist about how such changes impact deep ocean communities. A 24-y time-series study of sinking particulate organic carbon (food) supply and its utilization by the benthic community was conducted in the abyssal northeast Pacific (∼4,000-m depth). Here we show that previous findings of food deficits are now punctuated by large episodic surpluses of particulate organic carbon reaching the sea floor, which meet utilization. Changing surface ocean conditions are translated to the deep ocean, where decadal peaks in supply, remineralization, and sequestration of organic carbon have broad implications for global carbon budget projections.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1073/pnas.1315447110
ISSN: 0027-8424
Additional Keywords: carbon cycle deep-sea ecology climate change
Date made live: 13 Jan 2014 16:25 +0 (UTC)
URI: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/504491

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Document Downloads

Downloads for past 30 days

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...