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Net community production in the North Atlantic Ocean derived from Volunteer Observing Ship data
Author(s) -
Ostle Clare,
Johnson Martin,
Landschützer Peter,
Schuster Ute,
Hartman Susan,
Hull Tom,
Robinson Carol
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1002/2014gb004868
Subject(s) - dissolved organic carbon , biogeochemical cycle , environmental science , surface water , oceanography , plankton , carbon fibers , carbon dioxide , latitude , total organic carbon , atmosphere (unit) , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geology , meteorology , geography , materials science , organic chemistry , geodesy , environmental engineering , composite number , composite material
The magnitude of marine plankton net community production (NCP) is indicative of both the biologically driven exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the surface ocean and the export of organic carbon from the surface ocean to the ocean interior. In this study the seasonal variability in the NCP of five biogeochemical regions in the North Atlantic was determined from measurements of surface water dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) sampled from a Volunteer Observing Ship (VOS). The magnitude of NCP derived from dissolved oxygen measurements (NCPO 2) was consistent with previous geochemical estimates of NCP in the North Atlantic, with an average annual NCPO 2of 9.5 ± 6.5 mmol O 2 m −2 d −1 . Annual NCPO 2did not vary significantly over 35° of latitude and was not significantly different from NCP derived from DIC measurements (NCP DIC ). The relatively simple method described here is applicable to any VOS route on which surface water dissolved oxygen concentrations can be accurately measured, thus providing estimates of NCP at higher spatial and temporal resolution than currently achieved.