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Production of bio-refractory fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the ocean interior

Nature Geoscience volume 1, pages 579–582 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Dissolved organic matter in the ocean constitutes one of the largest pools of reduced carbon on the Earth’s surface1,2, but its role in the global carbon cycle is poorly understood. A large part of this pool is thought to be of marine origin2,3,4 and to be composed of constituents that are resistant to biological degradation3,4,5,6. It is not clear how this refractory fraction of the carbon pool is produced in the ocean. Here, we analyse observations of fluorescence intensity and apparent oxygen utilization in the interior of the Pacific Ocean, and find that the two parameters are linearly related in the mesopelagic and abyssal layers. We conclude that fluorescent dissolved organic matter is produced in situ in the ocean interior as organic matter is oxidized biologically, and that it is resistant to biological degradation on centennial to millennial timescales. The rate of production of bio-refractory fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the ocean interior is larger than the riverine input of terrestrial humic substances, suggesting that its in situ production is one of the key processes in maintaining the oceanic pool of refractory dissolved organic matter.

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Figure 1: Map of locations sampled for survey of FDOM distribution and typical vertical profiles of fluorescence intensity.
Figure 2: Contour maps of fluorescence intensity and AOU along the transects at 160∘ W and 170∘ W.
Figure 3: Fluorescence intensity versus AOU in the mesopelagic (200 m–1,000 m) and abyssal layers (>1,000 m).

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Acknowledgements

We thank A. Tsukasaki for measurements of fluorescence intensity in samples obtained from the Southern Ocean and South Pacific; T. Nishida, N. Yamada, S. Tani and other participants and crews of cruises for assistance during observations; N. Handa and T. Suga for discussions; and R. Jaffé for reviewing the manuscript. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Nos 18651006, 20241005) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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  1. Youhei Yamashita

    Present address: Present address: Southeast Environmental Research Center, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, University Park, OE-148, Miami, Florida 33199, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan

    Youhei Yamashita & Eiichiro Tanoue

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  1. Youhei Yamashita
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  2. Eiichiro Tanoue
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Contributions

Y.Y. and E.T. contributed to the project planning, data interpretation and preparation of the final draft of the manuscript. Y.Y. carried out most of the experiments and data analysis, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Youhei Yamashita.

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Supplementary tables S1 and S2 (PDF 314 kb)

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Yamashita, Y., Tanoue, E. Production of bio-refractory fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the ocean interior. Nature Geosci 1, 579–582 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo279

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