Global marine plankton functional type biomass distributions: coccolithophores

O'Brien, Colleen; Peloquin, J.; Vogt, Meike; Heinle, Moritz; Gruber, Nicolas; Ajani, Penelope; Andruleit, Harald; Arı́stegui, Javier; Beaufort, Luc; Estrada, Marta; Karentz, Deneb; Kopczyńska, Elżbieta E.; Lee, Richard; Poulton, Alex J.; Pritchard, Tim; Widdicombe, Claire E.

doi:10.5194/essd-5-259-2013

Cited by 77 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…There are also specific differences between functional groups in cell elemental stoichiometry and palatability to grazers (we assume that the hard coverings of diatoms and coccolithophores deter grazers; see e.g. Monteiro et al, 2016;Pančić et al, 2019). The smallest phytoplankton have the highest affinity for nutrients (Edwards et al, 2012) as a result of the lower surface-to-volume ratio found in larger cells (Kiorboe, 1993;Raven, 1994).…”

Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Biodiversity of phytoplankton is important for ecosystem stability and marine biogeochemistry. However, the large-scale patterns of diversity are not well understood and are often poorly characterized in terms of statistical relationships with factors such as latitude, temperature and productivity. Here we use ecological theory and a global trait-based ecosystem model to provide mechanistic understanding of patterns of phytoplankton diversity. Our study suggests that phytoplankton diversity across three dimensions of trait space (size, biogeochemical function and thermal tolerance) is controlled by disparate combinations of drivers: the supply rate of the limiting resource, the imbalance in different resource supplies relative to competing phytoplankton demands, size-selective grazing and transport by the moving ocean. Using sensitivity studies we show that each dimension of diversity is controlled by different drivers. Models including only one (or two) of the trait dimensions will have different patterns of diversity than one which incorporates another trait dimension. We use the results of our model exploration to infer the controls on the diversity patterns derived from field observations along meridional transects in the Atlantic and to explain why different taxa and size classes have differing patterns.

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Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

et al. 2020

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“…The recent publication of the MARine Ecosystem DATa (MAREDAT) atlas of plankton biomass distributions of 10 plankton functional types (PFTs) has provided one part of the necessary global information. It includes compilations of biomass observations for pteropods (Bednaršek et al, 2012), coccolithophores (O'Brien et al, 2013), and foraminifers (Schiebel & Movellan, 2012). Comparison of these databases show that pteropods dominate the global ocean calcifier biomass (Buitenhuis, Vogt, et al, 2013) and therefore possibly also carbonate export.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large Contribution of Pteropods to Shallow CaCO₃ Export

Buitenhuis

Quéré

Bednaršek

et al. 2019

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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The literature on the relative contributions of pelagic calcifying taxa to the global ocean export of CaCO3 is divided. Studies based on deep sediment trap data tend to argue that either foraminifers or coccolithophores, both calcite producers, dominate export. However, the compilations of biomass observations for pteropods, coccolithophores, and foraminifers instead show that pteropods dominate the global ocean calcifier biomass and therefore likely also carbonate export. Here we present a new global ocean biogeochemical model that explicitly represents these three groups of pelagic calcifiers. We synthesize databases of the physiology of the three groups to parameterize the model and then tune the unconstrained parameters to reproduce the observations of calcifier biomass and CaCO3 export. The model can reproduce both these observational databases; however, substantial dissolution of aragonite above the aragonite saturation horizon is required to do so. We estimate a contribution of pteropods to shallow (100 m) export of CaCO3 of at least 33% and to pelagic calcification of up to 89%. The high production‐high dissolution configuration that shows closest agreement with all the observations has a CaCO3 production of 4.7 Pg C/year but CaCO3 export at 100 m of only 0.6 Pg C/year.

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“…the coccolithophores (Emiliana and Calcidiscus) and diatoms (Chaetoceros), are rather small (within a factor of 2) (Colomb et al, 2008). These different phytoplankton groups show different global distribution patterns (O'Brien et al, 2013;Leblanc et al, 2012). In addition, open ocean bromoform may partly originate from coastal sources via lateral transport (Moore and Tokarczyk, 1993;Carpenter and Liss, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine sources of bromoform in the global open ocean – global patterns and emissions

Stemmler

Hense²,

Quack

2015

Biogeosciences

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Bromoform (CHBr 3 ) is one important precursor of atmospheric reactive bromine species that are involved in ozone depletion in the troposphere and stratosphere. In the open ocean bromoform production is linked to phytoplankton that contains the enzyme bromoperoxidase. Coastal sources of bromoform are higher than open ocean sources. However, open ocean emissions are important because the transfer of tracers into higher altitude in the air, i.e. into the ozone layer, strongly depends on the location of emissions. For example, emissions in the tropics are more rapidly transported into the upper atmosphere than emissions from higher latitudes. Global spatio-temporal features of bromoform emissions are poorly constrained. Here, a global three-dimensional ocean biogeochemistry model (MPIOM-HAMOCC) is used to simulate bromoform cycling in the ocean and emissions into the atmosphere using recently published data of global atmospheric concentrations (Ziska et al., 2013) as upper boundary conditions. Our simulated surface concentrations of CHBr 3 match the observations well. Simulated global annual emissions based on monthly mean model output are lower than previous estimates, including the estimate by Ziska et al. (2013), because the gas exchange reverses when less bromoform is produced in non-blooming seasons. This is the case for higher latitudes, i.e. the polar regions and northern North Atlantic. Further model experiments show that future model studies may need to distinguish different bromoform-producing phytoplankton species and reveal that the transport of CHBr 3 from the coast considerably alters open ocean bromoform concentrations, in particular in the northern sub-polar and polar regions.

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Global marine plankton functional type biomass distributions: coccolithophores

Cited by 77 publications

References 73 publications

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

Large Contribution of Pteropods to Shallow CaCO₃ Export

Marine sources of bromoform in the global open ocean – global patterns and emissions

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Global marine plankton functional type biomass distributions: coccolithophores

Cited by 77 publications

References 73 publications

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

Dimensions of marine phytoplankton diversity

Large Contribution of Pteropods to Shallow CaCO3 Export

Marine sources of bromoform in the global open ocean – global patterns and emissions

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Large Contribution of Pteropods to Shallow CaCO₃ Export