Journal
MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH
Volume 6, Issue 5, Pages 461-471Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS
DOI: 10.1080/17451000903437067
Keywords
Carbon flux; faecal pellet; fjord; sediment trap; zooplankton
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Funding
- Research Council of Norway [176096/S30]
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In a northern Norwegian fjord throughout the productive season, sediment traps were consecutively deployed at four depths from March until October in order to study the role of zooplankton on vertical export of organic matter. The field campaign included 26 cruises to a permanent station located in the basin of Balsfjord (180 m), with the most intensive sampling conducted during spring. The zooplankton community greatly influenced the vertical flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) through production and sinking of faecal pellets (FP). Faecal pellets explained similar to 40% of the POC flux leaving the upper 100 m during the productive season (corresponding to similar to 10 g C m(-2)). The average monthly faecal pellet carbon (FPC) contribution ranged widely between 7 and 75% of POC. Euphausiids were the single most important contributor to the vertical FP flux and made up 90% of the FPC during certain periods. Faecal pellets produced by small and medium-sized copepods, although found in high abundance, played a minor role for the vertical flux, suggesting significant retention processes in the upper layers.
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