Krill and salp faecal pellets contribute equally to the carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula
Pauli, Nora-Charlotte
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8916-8229,
Flintrop, Clara M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5711-0521,
Konrad, Christian,
Pakhomov, Evgeny A.,
Swoboda, Steffen,
Koch, Florian
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7107-4160,
Wang, Xin-Liang,
Zhang, Ji-Chang,
Brierley, Andrew S.,
Bernasconi, Matteo,
Meyer, Bettina
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6804-9896 and
Iversen, Morten
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5287-1110
;
Contact
nora-charlotte.pauli [ at ] awi.de
Abstract
Krill and salps are important for carbon flux in the Southern Ocean, but the extent of their contribution and the consequences of shifts in dominance from krill to salps remain unclear. We present a direct comparison of the contribution of krill and salp faecal pellets (FP) to
vertical carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula using a combination of sediment traps, FP production, carbon content, microbial degradation, and krill and salp abundances. Salps produce 4-fold more FP carbon than krill, but the FP from both species contribute equally to the carbon flux at 300 m, accounting for 75% of total carbon. Krill FP are exported to 72% to 300 m, while 80% of salp FP are retained in the mixed layer due to fragmentation. Thus, declining krill abundances could lead to decreased carbon flux, indicating that the Antarctic Peninsula could become a less efficient carbon sink for anthropogenic CO2 in future.
Item Type
Article
Authors
Pauli, Nora-Charlotte
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8916-8229,
Flintrop, Clara M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5711-0521,
Konrad, Christian,
Pakhomov, Evgeny A.,
Swoboda, Steffen,
Koch, Florian
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7107-4160,
Wang, Xin-Liang,
Zhang, Ji-Chang,
Brierley, Andrew S.,
Bernasconi, Matteo,
Meyer, Bettina
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6804-9896 and
Iversen, Morten
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5287-1110
;
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Helmholtz Cross Cutting Activity (2021-2027)
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
55068
DOI
10.1038/s41467-021-27436-9
Cite as
Pauli, N. C.
,
Flintrop, C. M.
,
Konrad, C.
,
Pakhomov, E. A.
,
Swoboda, S.
,
Koch, F.
,
Wang, X. L.
,
Zhang, J. C.
,
Brierley, A. S.
,
Bernasconi, M.
,
Meyer, B.
and
Iversen, M.
(2021):
Krill and salp faecal pellets contribute equally to the carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula
,
Nature Communications,
12
,
p. 7168
.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27436-9
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