Abundance and size distribution of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in a coccolithophorid bloom in the northern Bay of Biscay

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Jé ; rô ; me Harlay ; Caroline De Bodt ; Anja Engel ; S ; ra Jansen ; Quentin d’ ; Hoop ; Judith Piontek ; Nicolas Van Oostende ; Steve Groom ; Koen Sabbe ; Lei Chou
• 关键词：TEP ; Carbon ; Coccolithophores ; North Atlantic Ocean
• 刊名：Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
• 出版年：2009
• 出版时间：August 2009
• 年：2009
• 卷：56
• 期：8
• 页码：1251-1265
• 全文大小：843 K

文摘

The distribution of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) was investigated during a coccolithophorid bloom in the northern Bay of Biscay (North Atlantic Ocean) in early June 2006. MODIS chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and reflectance images before and during the cruise were used to localize areas of important biological activity and high reflectance (HR). TEP profiles along the continental margin, determined using microscopic (TEP_micro) and colorimetric (TEP_color) methods, showed abundant (6.1×10⁶–4.4×10⁷ L⁻¹) and relatively small (0.5–20 μm) particles, leading to a low total volume fraction (0.05–2.2 ppm) of TEP_micro and similar vertical profiles of TEP_color. Estimates of carbon content in TEP (TEP-C) derived from the microscopic approach yielded surface concentration of 1.50 μmol C L⁻¹. The contribution of TEP-C to particulate organic carbon (POC) was estimated to be 12 % (molar C ratio) during this survey. Our results suggest that TEP formation is a probable first step to rapid and efficient export of C during declining coccolithophorid blooms.