at 1225 m, with no seasonality in the proportion of vertical flux to primary production. In total, between 10 and 11 gC m -2 yr-*were delivered to the bottom sediment of Cariaco, which suggests that between 4 x l0 s and 1 x 10 6 t of C yr -• were delivered to sediments within the upwelling area of the Cariaco Basin. This represents permanent sequestration of carbon previously entrained in the North Atlantic gyre in the area of formation of SUW. Results suggests that upwelled inorganic nitrogen, rather than nitrogen fixation, is responsible for the large productivity and particulate carbon settling flux in the Cariaco Basin.