Abstract
IT has become increasingly evident that biogenous processes in oceanic surface layers play an important role in removing trace elements from sea water and transporting them to the sediments1,2. Plankton are strongly implicated in these processes and investigations of the chemistry of these organisms have demonstrated their ability to accumulate trace elements to relatively high levels3,4. Zooplankton metabolic activity can be expected to enhance the biogeochemical cycling of trace elements through the release of particulate matter3 such as faecal pellets, moulted exoskeletons and eggs. Furthermore, theoretical models5,6 on the vertical flux of particulates have emphasised the sinking of large particles, similar to those produced by zooplankton, as a mechanism for rapid transport of particulate matter and associated trace elements out of the mixed layer. Nevertheless, little, if any, data exist on (the trace element composition of these biogenic particles, and Boyle et al.7, interpreting their Pacific Ocean Cd profiles in terms of probable Cd regeneration from sinking biogenic debris, have stressed the need for information on the trace element composition of planktonic particulate matter. This note reports the concentrations of 18 trace elements in freshly released faecal pellets, moults and eggs from a representative planktonic crustacean. The high levels of many trace elements found in these biogenic products, relative to concentrations in the plankton which produce them, clearly indicate the importance of these particulates in oceanic trace element biogeochemical cycles.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chester, R. & Aston, S. R. in Chemical Oceanography 2nd edn 6, 281–390 (eds Riley, J. P. & Chester, R.) (Academic, New York, 1976).
Wallace, G. T., Hoffman, G. L. & Duce, R. A. Mar. Chem. 5, 143–170 (1977).
Lowman, F. G., Rice, T. R. & Richards, F. A. in Radioactivity in the Marine Environment 161–199 (National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC, 1971).
Martin, J. H. & Knauer, G. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 37, 1639–1653 (1973).
Tsunogai, S., Nozaki, Y. & Minagawa, M. J. oceanog. Soc. Japan 30, 251–259 (1974).
McCave, I. N. Deep Sea Res. 22, 491–502 (1975).
Boyle, E. A., Sclater, F. & Edmond, J. M. Nature 263, 42–44 (1976).
La Rosa, J. Deep Sea Res. 23, 995–997 (1976).
Fowler, S. W., Small, L. F. & Keckes, S. Mar. Biol. 11, 45–51 (1971).
Fowler, S. W. & Oregioni, B. Mar. pollut. Bull. 7, 26–29 (1976).
Strohal, P., Tuta, J. & Kolar, Z. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 265–268. (1969).
Mauchline, J. & Fisher, L. R. Adv. mar. Biol. 7, 174–199 (1969).
Boothe, P. N. & Knauer, G. A. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17, 270–274 (1972).
Bertine, K. K. & Goldberg, E. D. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17, 877–884 (1972).
Fowler, S. W. & Small, L. F. in Design of Radiotracer Experiments in Marine Biological Systems, Tech. Rep. Ser. No. 167, 63–84 (IAEA, Vienna, 1975).
Chow, T. J., Patterson, C. C. & Settle, D. Nature 251, 159–161 (1974).
Lasker, R. Nature 203, 96 (1964).
Martin, J. H. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 756–761 (1970).
Small, L. F., Fowler, S. W. & Keckes, S. in Radioactive Contamination of the Marine Environment 437–452 (IAEA, Vienna, 1973).
Small, L. F. & Fowler, S. W. Mar. Biol. 18, 284–290 (1973).
Wiebe, P. H., Boyd, S. H. & Winget, C. J. mar. Res. 34, 341–354 (1976).
Soutar, A., Kling, S. A., Crill, P. A., Duffrin, E. & Bruland, K. W. Nature 266, 136–139 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
FOWLER, S. Trace elements in zooplankton particulate products. Nature 269, 51–53 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/269051a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/269051a0
This article is cited by
-
Estimations of 137Cs activity concentrations using marine parameters issued from MODIS and Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Services (CMEMS) data in Souda Bay (Crete, Greece) for the period 2011–2019
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022)
-
Trophic Transfer of Lead Through a Model Marine Four-Level Food Chain: Tetraselmis suecica, Artemia franciscana, Litopenaeus vannamei, and Haemulon scudderi
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (2011)
-
Seasonal variations in the densities of fecal pellets produced by Oikopleura vanhoeffeni (C. Larvacea) and Calanus finmarchicus (C. Copepoda)
Marine Biology (1993)
-
Change in the gross biochemistry and mineral content accompanying the moult cycle in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba
Marine Biology (1992)
-
Geochemistry of recent TOC-rich sediments from the Gulf of California and the Black Sea
Geologische Rundschau (1989)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.