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Dissolved Organic Carbon in Coastal Waters: Global Patterns, Stocks and Environmental Physical Controls

Journal Article · · Global Biogeochemical Cycles
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GB008407· OSTI ID:2564298
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  1. Section for Marine Diversity and Experimental Ecology Department of Ecoscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
  2. CSIC Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas Vigo Spain
  3. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) University of Aveiro Aveiro Portugal
  4. Departamento Interdisciplinario de Sistemas Costero Marinos Centro Universitario Regional Este Universidad de La República Rocha Uruguay
  5. Instituto de Oceanografía y Cambio Global (IOCAG) Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas Spain
  6. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Kolkata India, Faculty of Applied Sciences UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
  7. Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science University of Miami Miami FL USA, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Moss Landing CA USA
  8. IMEDEA (CSIC‐UIB), Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies Esporles Spain
  9. State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres College of Ocean and Earth Sciences Xiamen University Xiamen China, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration Xiamen University Xiamen China
  10. Centro de Estudos do Mar Universidade Federal do Paraná Pontal do Paraná Brazil
  11. CNR—ISMAR Istituto di Scienze Marine Trieste Italy
  12. Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Faculty of Science and Engineering Southern Cross University Lismore NSW Australia
  13. National Oceanography Centre Southampton UK
  14. National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) Trieste Italy, Istituto Centrale Per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologia Applicata al Mare Chioggia Italy
  15. National Institute of Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Kgs Lyngby Denmark
  16. Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville QLD Australia
  17. Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science University of Miami Miami FL USA
  18. Department of Ecoscience Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
  19. Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch Agri‐Food and Biosciences Institute Belfast UK
  20. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR) Rome Italy, Institute of Marine Sciences Middle East Technical University Erdemli‐Mersin Turkey
  21. Remote Sensing Laboratory Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences Sopot Poland
  22. ENTROPIE IRD CNRS IFREMER University of Reunion University of New Caledonia Nouméa New Caledonia
  23. Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche Istituto Per lo Studio Degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in Ambiente Marino (CNR‐IAS) Oristano Italy
  24. Asian School of the Environment Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore
  25. Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond VA USA
  26. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón/Xixón Instituto Español de Oceanografía Gijón/Xixón Spain
  27. Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende Rostock‐Warnemuende Germany
  28. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Seoul National University Seoul Korea
  29. College of Marine Science University of South Florida Saint Petersburg FL USA
  30. State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research East China Normal University Shanghai China
  31. Centro de Investigación Mariña‐Universidade de Vigo Vigo Spain
  32. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory Sequim WA USA
  33. Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Hokkaido University Hokkaido Japan
  34. College of Environment and Safety Engineering Fuzhou University Fuzhou China
+ Show Author Affiliations
Abstract

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in coastal waters is integral to biogeochemical cycling, but global and regional drivers of DOC are still uncertain. In this study we explored spatial and temporal differences in DOC concentrations and stocks across the global coastal ocean, and how these relate to temperature and salinity. We estimated a global median coastal DOC stock of 3.15 Pg C (interquartile range (IQR) = 0.85 Pg C), with median DOC concentrations being 2.2 times higher than in open ocean surface waters. Globally and seasonally, salinity was the main driver of DOC with concentrations correlated negatively with salinity, without a clear relationship to temperature. DOC concentrations and stocks varied with region and season and this pattern is likely driven by riverine inputs of DOC and nutrients that stimulate coastal phytoplankton production. Temporally, high DOC concentrations occurred mainly in months with high freshwater input, with some exceptions such as in Eastern Boundary Current margins where peaks are related to primary production stimulated by nutrients upwelled from the adjacent ocean. No spatial trend between DOC and temperature was apparent, but many regions (19 out of 25) had aligned peaks of seasonal temperature and DOC, related to increased phytoplankton production and vertical stratification at high temperatures. Links of coastal DOC with salinity and temperature highlight the potential for anthropogenic impacts to alter coastal DOC concentration and composition, and thereby ecosystem status.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
2564298
Journal Information:
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Journal Name: Global Biogeochemical Cycles Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 39; ISSN 0886-6236
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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