The Oceans’ Biological Carbon Pumps: Framework for a Research Observational Community Approach

Abstract

A recent paradigm explains that the downward pumping of biogenic carbon in the ocean is performed by the combined action of six different biological carbon pumps (BCPs): the biological gravitational pump, the physically driven pumps (Mixed Layer Pump, Eddy Subduction Pump and Large-scale Subduction Pump), and the animal-driven pumps (diurnal and seasonal vertical migrations of zooplankton and larger animals). Here, we propose a research community approach to implement the new paradigm through the integrated study of these BCPs in the World Ocean. The framework to investigate the BCPs combines measurements from different observational platforms, i.e., oceanographic ships, satellites, moorings, and robots (gliders, floats, and robotic surface vehicles such as wavegliders and saildrones). We describe the following aspects of the proposed research framework: variables and processes to be measured in both the euphotic and twilight zones for the different BCPs; spatial and temporal scales of occurrence of the various BCPs; selection of key regions for integrated studies of the BCPs; multi-platform observational strategies; and upscaling of results from regional observations to the global ocean using deterministic models combined with data assimilation and machine learning to make the most of the wealth of unique measurements. The proposed approach has the potential not only to bring together a large multidisciplinary community of researchers, but also to usher the community toward a new era of discoveries in ocean sciences.

A Conceptual Approach to Partitioning a Vertical Profile of Phytoplankton Biomass Into Contributions From Two Communities

“…The parameters not directly available ($${B}_{2,m}^{\ast }$$, τ 2 , σ , and $${b}_{bp,2}^{B}$$) can be mapped by fitting our functions to in situ observations, then relating these parameters to some property of the surface ocean (e.g., trophic levels), or physical observations (e.g., the larger Argo array), or to time and space (e.g., biogeochemical provinces, seasons), such that they can be mapped over large scales, and used with the other inputs and parameters to extrapolate the surface fields seen from a satellite down through the epipelagic zone. As we move into an era of ocean robotic platforms, with an expanding number of in situ observations, model parameters can be mapped with a higher degree of confidence, and we can continue to improve our capability to monitor ocean biogeochemical cycles (Brewin et al., 2021; Claustre et al., 2021).…”

The ongoing need for rates: can physiology and omics come together to co-design the measurements needed to understand complex ocean biogeochemistry?

“…5A ). For example, profiling robotic floats with multiple sensors are providing synoptic snapshots of spatial variability in ocean properties along with the prior seasonal dynamics of key resources such as nutrients ( Claustre et al ., 2021 ). It will also be essential to determine how such prior oceanic conditions set cellular status, for example the degree of Fe stress ( Fig.…”

Operational Monitoring of Open-Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal Deployments: Detection, Attribution, and Determination of Side Effects

“…Biogeochemical data would subsequently be analyzed using AI and assimilated in models. The integration of these platforms, analyzing their data with AI, and combining the data with models is already partly implemented in open-ocean research (e.g., Claustre et al, 2021) and could be readily…”