Diatoms Si uptake capacity drives carbon export in coastal upwelling systems
Abrantes, F.; Cermeno, P.; Lopes, C.; Romero, O.; Rufino, M.; van Iperen, J.; Matos, L.; Magalhães, V. (2016). Diatoms Si uptake capacity drives carbon export in coastal upwelling systems. Biogeosciences 13: 4099–4109,. dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4099-2016 In: Gattuso, J.P.; Kesselmeier, J. (Ed.) Biogeosciences. Copernicus Publications: Göttingen. ISSN 1726-4170; e-ISSN 1726-4189, more |   |
| Authors | | Top | - Abrantes, F.
- Cermeno, P.
- Lopes, C.
- Romero, O.
| - Rufino, M.
- van Iperen, J.
- Matos, L.
- Magalhães, V.
| |
| Abstract | Coastal upwelling systems account for approximatelyhalf of global ocean primary production and contributedisproportionately to biologically driven carbon sequestration.Diatoms, silica-precipitating microalgae, constitutethe dominant phytoplankton in these productive regions,and their abundance and assemblage composition in the sedimentaryrecord is considered one of the best proxies for primaryproduction. The study of the sedimentary diatom abundance(SDA) and total organic carbon content (TOC) in thefive most important coastal upwelling systems of the modernocean (Iberia–Canary, Benguela, Peru–Humboldt, California,and Somalia–Oman) reveals a global-scale positiverelationship between diatom production and organic carbonburial. The analysis of SDA in conjunction with environmentalvariables of coastal upwelling systems such as upwellingstrength, satellite-derived net primary production, and surfacewater nutrient concentrations shows different relationsbetween SDA and primary production on the regional scale.On the global scale, SDA appears modulated by the capacityof diatoms to take up silicic acid, which ultimately setsan upper limit to global export production in these ocean regions. |
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