Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period
Up to 95% of the oceanic primary production is recycled within the upper few hundred meters of the water column. Marine snow and zooplankton fecal pellets in the upper water column are often recycled at rates exceeding those measured for microbial degradation, suggesting that zooplankton might be im...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.543124/full |
| _version_ | 1818545259268800512 |
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| author | Helga van der Jagt Helga van der Jagt Ingrid Wiedmann Nicole Hildebrandt Barbara Niehoff Morten H. Iversen Morten H. Iversen |
| author_facet | Helga van der Jagt Helga van der Jagt Ingrid Wiedmann Nicole Hildebrandt Barbara Niehoff Morten H. Iversen Morten H. Iversen |
| author_sort | Helga van der Jagt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Up to 95% of the oceanic primary production is recycled within the upper few hundred meters of the water column. Marine snow and zooplankton fecal pellets in the upper water column are often recycled at rates exceeding those measured for microbial degradation, suggesting that zooplankton might be important for flux attenuation of particulate organic carbon in the upper ocean. However, direct evidence for interactions between zooplankton and settling aggregates are still rare. We investigated the importance of zooplankton aggregate feeding for carbon flux attenuation in the upper ocean by determining aggregate ingestion rates and feeding behavior on settling aggregates by the dominant Arctic filter-feeding copepods Calanus spp. and Pseudocalanus spp. Both genera were observed to detect and feed on settling aggregates. Using in situ zooplankton and aggregate abundances in combination with the measured aggregate feeding rates, we calculated that 60–67% of the total carbon flux attenuation at three Arctic locations could be explained by Calanus spp. and Pseudocalanus spp. aggregate feeding alone. When including microbial degradation of the settling aggregates, we could explain up to 77% of the total carbon flux attenuation. Our results suggest that by directly ingesting and fragmenting settling marine snow, mesozooplankton are key organisms for flux attenuation in Arctic waters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:59:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d684da757a6450b83fde8448d46ba33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:59:05Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d684da757a6450b83fde8448d46ba332022-12-22T00:40:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452020-09-01710.3389/fmars.2020.543124543124Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive PeriodHelga van der Jagt0Helga van der Jagt1Ingrid Wiedmann2Nicole Hildebrandt3Barbara Niehoff4Morten H. Iversen5Morten H. Iversen6Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyMARUM and University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyUiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyMARUM and University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyUp to 95% of the oceanic primary production is recycled within the upper few hundred meters of the water column. Marine snow and zooplankton fecal pellets in the upper water column are often recycled at rates exceeding those measured for microbial degradation, suggesting that zooplankton might be important for flux attenuation of particulate organic carbon in the upper ocean. However, direct evidence for interactions between zooplankton and settling aggregates are still rare. We investigated the importance of zooplankton aggregate feeding for carbon flux attenuation in the upper ocean by determining aggregate ingestion rates and feeding behavior on settling aggregates by the dominant Arctic filter-feeding copepods Calanus spp. and Pseudocalanus spp. Both genera were observed to detect and feed on settling aggregates. Using in situ zooplankton and aggregate abundances in combination with the measured aggregate feeding rates, we calculated that 60–67% of the total carbon flux attenuation at three Arctic locations could be explained by Calanus spp. and Pseudocalanus spp. aggregate feeding alone. When including microbial degradation of the settling aggregates, we could explain up to 77% of the total carbon flux attenuation. Our results suggest that by directly ingesting and fragmenting settling marine snow, mesozooplankton are key organisms for flux attenuation in Arctic waters.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.543124/fullmarine snowzooplankton aggregate feedingin situ opticssediment trapszooplankton feeding behavior |
| spellingShingle | Helga van der Jagt Helga van der Jagt Ingrid Wiedmann Nicole Hildebrandt Barbara Niehoff Morten H. Iversen Morten H. Iversen Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period Frontiers in Marine Science marine snow zooplankton aggregate feeding in situ optics sediment traps zooplankton feeding behavior |
| title | Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period |
| title_full | Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period |
| title_fullStr | Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period |
| title_short | Aggregate Feeding by the Copepods Calanus and Pseudocalanus Controls Carbon Flux Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Sea During the Productive Period |
| title_sort | aggregate feeding by the copepods calanus and pseudocalanus controls carbon flux attenuation in the arctic shelf sea during the productive period |
| topic | marine snow zooplankton aggregate feeding in situ optics sediment traps zooplankton feeding behavior |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.543124/full |
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