Insights Into the Major Processes Driving the Global Distribution of Copper in the Ocean From a Global Model

Copper (Cu) is an unusual micronutrient as it can limit primary production but can also become toxic for growth and cellular functioning under high concentrations. Cu also displays an atypical linear profile, which will modulate its availability to marine microbes across the ocean. Multiple chemical forms of Cu coexist in seawater as dissolved species and understanding the main processes shaping the Cu biogeochemical cycling is hampered by key knowledge gaps. For instance, the drivers of its specific linear profile in seawater are unknown, and the bioavailable form of Cu for marine phytoplankton is debated. Here we developed a global 3-D biogeochemical model of oceanic Cu within the NEMO/PISCES global model, which represents the global distribution of dissolved copper well. Using our model, we find that reversible scavenging of Cu by organic particles drives the dissolved Cu vertical profile and its distribution in the deep ocean. The low modeled inorganic copper (Cu') in the surface ocean means that Cu' cannot maintain phytoplankton cellular copper requirements within observed ranges. The global budget of oceanic Cu from our model suggests that its residence time may be shorter than previously estimated and provides a global perspective on Cu cycling and the main drivers of Cu biogeochemistry in different regions. Cu scavenging within particle microenvironments and uptake by denitrifying bacteria could be a significant component of Cu cycling in oxygen minimum zones.