The impact of proto- and metazooplankton on the fate of organic carbon in continental ocean margins. Final progress report, May 1992--July 1995

Technical Report · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/171296· OSTI ID:171296

Paffenhofer, G. A.; Verity, P. G.

Three fates potentially consume primary production occurring on ocean margins: portions can be oxidized within the water column, portions can sediment to shelf/slope depots, and portions can be exported to the interior ocean. Zooplankton mediate all three of these processes and thus can alter the pathway and residence time of particulate organic carbon, depending on the size structure and composition of the zooplankton (and phytoplankton). To achieve the long-term goal of quantifying the role of proto- and metazooplankton in removing newly formed POC (primary production), the authors must accomplish two major component objectives: (a) determine plankton carbon biomass at relevant temporal and spatial scales; and (b) measure zooplankton carbon consumption rates and (for metazoan zooplankton) fecal pellet production. These measurements will specify the importance of different zooplankton groups as consumers and transformers of phytoplankton carbon. During Phase 1, they concentrated on methodological and technological developments prerequisite to an organized field program. Specifically, they proposed to develop and test an optical zooplankton counter, and to fully enhance the color image analysis system. In addition, they proposed to evaluate a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunospot assay to quantify predation by metazoan zooplankton on protozoans; and to improve methodology to determine ingestion and growth rates of salps, and accompanying pellet production rates, under conditions which very closely resemble their environment. The image analyzer data provide insights on basic ecosystem parameters relevant to carbon flux from the continental ocean to the deep ocean. Together these approaches provide a powerful set of tools to probe food web relationships in greater detail, to increase the accuracy and speed of carbon biomass and rate measurements, and to enhance data collection and analysis.

• Research Organization: Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography, Savannah, GA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-92ER61419
• OSTI ID: 171296
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/61419--T2; ON: DE96003943
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON CYCLE
DATA
DESIGN
ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
PRODUCTIVITY
PROGRESS REPORT
SEAS
ZOOPLANKTON