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Elevated consumption of carbon relative to nitrogen in the surface ocean

Nature volume 363, pages 248–250 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

UPTAKE of atmospheric CO2 by the ocean's 'biological pump' is driven by export of carbon from the euphotic zone to deeper waters1,2. As nitrate is a limiting nutrient in large regions of the ocean, measurements of nitrate uptake are often used to estimate the amount of carbon exported in this way3–6. This presupposes knowledge of the molar C: N ratio in the organic material exported from the upper waters, which is usually taken to be 6.6 (the Redfield ratio7,8). Recent studies have suggested, however, that the consumption ratio of C:N may deviate from this value in coastal waters9–11. Here we present time-series from both coastal waters and open-ocean sites which demonstrate that net organic carbon production greatly exceeded that predicted from nitrate consumption and the Redfield C:N ratio. We found a similar discrepancy in sections across broad regions of the North Atlantic during eutrophic periods. Our results suggest that extrapolating from nitrate consumption using the Redfield ratio leads to significant underestimates of organic carbon export from the euphotic zone.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964, USA

    Raymond N. Sambrotto, Taro Takahashi, Chris Langdon, David Chipman & John Marra

  2. Queen's University of Belfast, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Marine Biology Station, Portaferry, County Down, BT22 1PF, UK

    Graham Savidge & Philip Boyd

  3. University of Wales, Bangor, School of Ocean Sciences, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd, LL59 5EY, UK

    Carol Robinson

  4. SOEST, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    David M. Karl

  5. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 160 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove, California, 93950, USA

    Louis Codispoti

Authors
  1. Raymond N. Sambrotto
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  2. Graham Savidge
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  4. Philip Boyd
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  10. Louis Codispoti
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Sambrotto, R., Savidge, G., Robinson, C. et al. Elevated consumption of carbon relative to nitrogen in the surface ocean. Nature 363, 248–250 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/363248a0

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