EBENE: A JGOFS investigation of plankton variability and trophic interactions in the equatorial Pacific (180°)

The Etude du Broutage en Zone Equatoriale (EBENE) transect (8°S–8°N) explored the equatorial high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll (HNLC) zone and adjacent oligotrophic areas during a La Niña period (October–November 1996). During this time the passage of a tropical instability wave also influenced the region north of the equator. We present a brief summary of EBENE findings, with an emphasis on phytoplankton utilization by the assemblage of protistan and animal consumers. Despite significant variability over the diel cycle, phytoplankton biomass at the equator was relatively constant on a 24‐hour timescale, denoting a dynamic balance between growth and losses. The magnitude of the daily cycle in phytoplankton biomass was well constrained by in situ observations of the diel variability in pigments and suspended particulates, by 14 C uptake rates from in situ incubations, and from experimental determinations of specific growth and grazing rates. The general equilibrium of production and grazing processes is illustrated by applying biomass‐specific grazing rates from the equatorial station to measured planktonic biomass along the EBENE transect and comparing them to measured 14 C uptake. Most of the grazing turnover is supported by the production of Prochloroccus (31%) and picoeukaryotic algae (34%). Among the consumers, microzooplankton (<200 μm) account for 59–98% of the grazing losses. The coherence of the results obtained by independent methods suggests that the essential features of the system have been adequately represented by rate and standing stock assessments from the EBENE study.