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Abstract

The oceanic biological pump drives sequestration of carbon dioxide in the deep sea via sinking particles. Rapid biological consumption and remineralization of carbon in the "twilight zone" (depths between the euphotic zone and 1000 meters) reduce the efficiency of sequestration. By using neutrally buoyant sediment traps to sample this chronically understudied realm, we measured a transfer efficiency of sinking particulate organic carbon between 150 and 500 meters of 20 and 50% at two contrasting sites. This large variability in transfer efficiency is poorly represented in biogeochemical models. If applied globally, this is equivalent to a difference in carbon sequestration of more than 3 petagrams of carbon per year.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Buesseler, KO and Elskens, M and Honda, M and Karl, DM and Siegel, DA and Silver, MW and Steinberg, DK and Valdes, J and Van Mooy, B and Wilson, S and Lamborg, CH and Boyd, PW and Lam, PJ and Trull, TW and Bridigare, RR and Bishop, JKB and Casciotti, KL and Dehairs, F
Journal or Publication Title:	Science
Publisher:	American Association Advancement Science
ISSN:	0036-8075
DOI / ID Number:	10.1126/science.1137959
Item Statistics:	View statistics for this item

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