Both respiration and photosynthesis determine the scaling of plankton metabolism in the oligotrophic ocean.
Nat Commun
; 6: 6961, 2015 Apr 24.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25908109
ABSTRACT
Despite its importance to ocean-climate interactions, the metabolic state of the oligotrophic ocean has remained controversial for >15 years. Positions in the debate are that it is either hetero- or autotrophic, which suggests either substantial unaccounted for organic matter inputs, or that all available photosynthesis (P) estimations (including (14)C) are biased. Here we show the existence of systematic differences in the metabolic state of the North (heterotrophic) and South (autotrophic) Atlantic oligotrophic gyres, resulting from differences in both P and respiration (R). The oligotrophic ocean is neither auto- nor heterotrophic, but functionally diverse. Our results show that the scaling of plankton metabolism by generalized PR relationships that has sustained the debate is biased, and indicate that the variability of R, and not only of P, needs to be considered in regional estimations of the ocean's metabolic state.
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Fotosíntesis
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Plancton
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Respiración de la Célula
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Procesos Autotróficos
/
Procesos Heterotróficos
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Commun
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Año:
2015
Tipo del documento:
Article