_version_ 1867171359544573952
author Pfannkuche, Olaf
Boetius, Antje
Lundgreen, Ulrich
Lochte, Karin
Thiel, Hjalmar
author_facet Pfannkuche, Olaf
Boetius, Antje
Lundgreen, Ulrich
Lochte, Karin
Thiel, Hjalmar
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents In an extended deep-sea study the response of the benthic community to seasonally varying sedimentation rates of organic matter were investigated at a fixed abyssal site in the NE Atlantic (BIOTRANS station or JGOFS station L2 at 47°N-20°W, water depth >4500 m) on four legs of METEOR expedition 21 between March and August 1992. The vertical flux at 3500 m depth and temporal variations in the chloroplastic pigment concentration, a measure of phytodetritus deposition, and of total adenylates and total phospholipids, measures of benthic biomass, and of activity of hydrolytic enzymes were observed. The flux patterns in moored sediment traps of total chlorophyll, POC and total flux showed an early sedimentation peak in March/April 1992, followed by low fluxes in May and intermediate ones from June to August. Thus 1992 differed from other years, in which one large flux peak after the spring phytoplankton bloom was observed. Unusually high concentrations of chloroplastic pigments were consistently observed in March 1992, reflecting the early sedimentation input. At the same time biomass of small benthic organisms (bacteria to meiobenthos) and activity of hydrolytic enzymes were higher compared to values from March 1985 and from the following months in 1992. In May and August 1992 pigment concentrations and biomass and activity parameters in the sediment were lower than during previously observed depositions of phytodetrital matter in summer. The data imply that the deep ocean benthic community reacts to small sedimentation events with transient increases in metabolic activity and only small biomass production. The coupling between pelagic and benthic processes is so close that interannual variability in surface water production is "mirrored" by deep-sea benthic processes.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_738494
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 1999
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Pigment distribution in surface sediments of the North Atlantic Ocean
Pfannkuche, Olaf
Boetius, Antje
Lundgreen, Ulrich
Lochte, Karin
Thiel, Hjalmar
ADEPD; Atlantic Data Base for Exchange Processes at the Deep Sea Floor; Biotrans; Iceland Basin; JGOFS; Joint Global Ocean Flux Study; M21/1; M21/1_MC373; M21/1_MC375; M21/1_MC376; M21/1_MC378; M21/1_MC379; M21/1_MC380; M21/1_MC381; M21/1_MC382; M21/1_MC383; M21/1_MC386; M21/1_MC387; M21/1_MC388; M21/1_MC389; M21/1_MC390; M21/1_MC391; M21/2; M21/2_MC394; M21/2_MC395; M21/2_MC396; M21/2_MC398; M21/2_MC399; M21/2_MC400; M21/3; M21/3_MC401; M21/3_MC402; M21/3_MC403; M21/3_MC404; M21/3_MC405; M21/3_MC407; M21/3_MC408; M21/3_MC409; M21/3_MC415; M21/3_MC416; M21/3_MC417; M21/6; M21/6_MC424; M21/6_MC426; M21/6_MC434; M21/6_MC435; M21/6_MC439; M21/6_MC446; M21/6_MC447; M21/6_MC448; M21/6_MC452; M21/6_MC454; M21/6_MC456; M27/2; M27/2_MC358; M27/2_MC469; M27/2_MC470; M27/2_MC471; M27/2_MC472; Madeira Basin; Meteor (1986); MUC; MultiCorer
In an extended deep-sea study the response of the benthic community to seasonally varying sedimentation rates of organic matter were investigated at a fixed abyssal site in the NE Atlantic (BIOTRANS station or JGOFS station L2 at 47°N-20°W, water depth >4500 m) on four legs of METEOR expedition 21 between March and August 1992. The vertical flux at 3500 m depth and temporal variations in the chloroplastic pigment concentration, a measure of phytodetritus deposition, and of total adenylates and total phospholipids, measures of benthic biomass, and of activity of hydrolytic enzymes were observed. The flux patterns in moored sediment traps of total chlorophyll, POC and total flux showed an early sedimentation peak in March/April 1992, followed by low fluxes in May and intermediate ones from June to August. Thus 1992 differed from other years, in which one large flux peak after the spring phytoplankton bloom was observed. Unusually high concentrations of chloroplastic pigments were consistently observed in March 1992, reflecting the early sedimentation input. At the same time biomass of small benthic organisms (bacteria to meiobenthos) and activity of hydrolytic enzymes were higher compared to values from March 1985 and from the following months in 1992. In May and August 1992 pigment concentrations and biomass and activity parameters in the sediment were lower than during previously observed depositions of phytodetrital matter in summer. The data imply that the deep ocean benthic community reacts to small sedimentation events with transient increases in metabolic activity and only small biomass production. The coupling between pelagic and benthic processes is so close that interannual variability in surface water production is "mirrored" by deep-sea benthic processes.
title Pigment distribution in surface sediments of the North Atlantic Ocean
topic ADEPD; Atlantic Data Base for Exchange Processes at the Deep Sea Floor; Biotrans; Iceland Basin; JGOFS; Joint Global Ocean Flux Study; M21/1; M21/1_MC373; M21/1_MC375; M21/1_MC376; M21/1_MC378; M21/1_MC379; M21/1_MC380; M21/1_MC381; M21/1_MC382; M21/1_MC383; M21/1_MC386; M21/1_MC387; M21/1_MC388; M21/1_MC389; M21/1_MC390; M21/1_MC391; M21/2; M21/2_MC394; M21/2_MC395; M21/2_MC396; M21/2_MC398; M21/2_MC399; M21/2_MC400; M21/3; M21/3_MC401; M21/3_MC402; M21/3_MC403; M21/3_MC404; M21/3_MC405; M21/3_MC407; M21/3_MC408; M21/3_MC409; M21/3_MC415; M21/3_MC416; M21/3_MC417; M21/6; M21/6_MC424; M21/6_MC426; M21/6_MC434; M21/6_MC435; M21/6_MC439; M21/6_MC446; M21/6_MC447; M21/6_MC448; M21/6_MC452; M21/6_MC454; M21/6_MC456; M27/2; M27/2_MC358; M27/2_MC469; M27/2_MC470; M27/2_MC471; M27/2_MC472; Madeira Basin; Meteor (1986); MUC; MultiCorer
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.738494