BioGeoChemical‐Argo floats reveal stark latitudinal gradient in the Southern Ocean deep carbon flux driven by phytoplankton community composition

The gravitational sinking of particles in the mesopelagic layer (∼200–1,000 m) transfers to the deep ocean a part of atmospheric carbon fixed by phytoplankton. This process, called the gravitational pump, exerts an important control on atmospheric CO2 levels but remains poorly characterized given the limited spatio-temporal coverage of ship-based flux measurements. Here, we examined the gravitational pump with BioGeoChemical-Argo floats in the Southern Ocean, a critically under-sampled area. Using time-series of bio-optical measurements, we characterized the concentration of particles in the productive zone, their export and transfer efficiency in the underlying mesopelagic zone, and the magnitude of sinking flux at 1,000 m. We separated float observations into six environments delineated by latitudinal fronts, sea-ice coverage, and natural iron fertilization. Results show a significant increase in the sinking-particle flux at 1,000 m with increasing latitude, despite comparable particle concentrations in the productive layer. The variability in deep flux was driven by changes in the transfer efficiency of the flux, related to the composition of the phytoplanktonic community and the size of particles, with intense flux associated with the predominance of micro-phytoplankton and large particles at the surface. We quantified the relationships between the nature of surface particles and the flux at 1,000 m and used these results to upscale our flux survey across the whole Southern Ocean using surface observations by floats and satellites. We then estimated the basin-wide Spring-Summer flux of sinking particles at 1,000 m over the Southern Ocean (0.054 ± 0.021 Pg C)

The chlorophyll seasonal dynamics in the Black Sea as inferred from Biogeochemical-Argo floats

Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats offer the opportunity to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of chlorophyll a (Chla) profiles. In the Black Sea, the unusual abundance of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and the absence of oxygen below ∼80-100m require a revision of the classic formulation used to link the fluorescence signal and the algal chlorophyll concentration (e.g. Xing et al., 2017). Indeed, the very high content of CDOM in the basin is thought to be responsible for the apparent increase of Chla concentrations at depth, where it should be zero due to the absence of light. Here, the classic formulation to link fluorescence and Chla is revised based on a reference Chla dataset sampled during a scientific cruise onboard RV Akademik and analysed with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Then, using the established equation to remove the contribution of CDOM to the fluorescence signal, we estimated the Chla profiles from 4 BGC-Argo floats during the period 2014-2017. All Chla profiles were thus highly quality controlled by using the Argo documentation (Schmechtig et al., 2015). Especially, we removed bad data (e.g. spikes, outliers) and we corrected the Non-Photochemical Quenching effect, a photoprotective mechanism resulting in a decrease in the fluorescence signal at the surface. The Chla profiles are categorized based on fitting algorithms (e.g. sigmoid, exponential, gaussian) and empirical criteria. They display a large variety of shapes across the seasons (e.g. homogeneity in the mixed layer, subsurface maximum, double peaks below the surface, etc.) with roughly homogeneous profiles dominating between November and February while subsurface maxima are present during the rest of the year, with in summer a clearly-marked deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). We then investigate the formation mechanism of DCMs based on the hysteresis hypothesis for the temperate ocean proposed by Navarro et al., (2013). For this, we looked at the correlation between the position of DCMs and the potential density anomaly of the mixed layer when it is maximum in winter, usually between February and March. We show that DCMs are highly correlated with the potential density anomaly of the previous winter mixed layer where a winter bloom initiated while the correlation with the 10% and 1% light levels is poor. This is in agreement with the hysteresis hypothesis that assumes that in regions where a bloom forms in late winter/early spring, this bloom remains established at a fixed density (i.e. the density of the mixed layer when it is maximum) until the end of summer acting as a barrier for the diffusion of nutrients from below and preventing the occurrence of deeper blooms due to a shading effect. This bloom is finally progressively eroded in autumn, when the depth of the mixed layer increases again

AtlantECO Deliverable 2.1: AtlantECO-BASE1

This deliverable reports on Task 2.2 ‘Assembly of observations about microbiomes, plastics, the plastisphere and carbon fluxes’. It used protocols established in task 2.1 ‘Definition of common standards for the assembly of spatially explicit data’ to compile, quality-control and grid existing high-quality observations into a knowledge base of observations (D2.1). Data included into AtlantECO-BASE1 consisted of contributions from the five following data sources and tasks: Task 2.2.1 ‘Microbiome data from traditional microscopy (presence-absence, abundance and biomass)’, Task 2.2.2 ‘Microbiome data from state-of-the-art optical/imaging analysis’, Task 2.2.3 ‘Microbiome and plastisphere data from state-of-the-art genetic analyses’, Task 2.2.4 ‘Nano-, micro and macroplastics data from state-of-the-art sampling methods’, and Task 2.2.5 ‘Carbon flux data from estimated from high resolution bio-optical sensors’. Additional data contributions and mapping efforts from other partners and work packages (Task 2.3) are also included. A comprehensive list and description of all data sets collected can be found in the Appendix Tables to this document

Towards a new insight of the carbon transport in the global ocean

The ocean is known to play a key role in the carbon cycle. Without it, atmospheric CO2 levels would be much higher than they are today thanks to the presence of carbon pumps that maintain a gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) between the surface and the deep ocean. The biological carbon pump (BCP) is primarily responsible for this gradient. It consists in a series of ocean processes through which inorganic carbon is fixed as organic matter by photosynthesis in sunlit surface waters and then transported to the ocean interior and possibly the sediment where it will be sequestered from the atmosphere for millions of years. The BCP was long thought as solely the gravitational settling of particulate organic carbon (POC). However, a new paradigm for the BCP has recently been defined in which physically and biologically mediated particle injection pumps have been added to the original definition. Physically mediated particle injection pumps provide a pathway to better understand the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) whereas biologically mediated particle injection pumps focus on the transport of POC by vertically migrating animals, either daily or seasonally. Therefore, a better understanding of these processes could help bridge the gap between carbon leaving the surface and carbon demand in the ocean interior. To address this new paradigm, this work will benefit from the advent of recent sensors that equip a new generation of Biogeochemical-Argo floats (BGC-Argo). The first part focuses on the development of an embedded zooplankton classification model for the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) under strict technical and energy constraints. The second part studies particle and carbon fluxes in the Labrador Sea using BGC-Argo floats equipped for the first time with the UVP6 and an optical sediment trap (OST), providing two independent measurements of sinking particles. The last part consists in revisiting the BCP using a new framework called CONVERSE for Continuous Vertical Sequestration. With this new approach, we re-evaluate the total carbon sequestered from the atmosphere (≥ 100 years) by the BCP and its transport pathways on the entire water column, in contrast to the carbon sequestration typically assumed below a fixed reference depth

Vers une meilleur compréhension du transport du carbone dans l'océan global

The ocean is known to play a key role in the carbon cycle. Without it, atmospheric CO2 levels would be much higher than what they are today thanks to the presence of carbon pumps that maintain a gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) between the surface and the deep ocean. The biological carbon pump (BCP) is primarily responsible for this gradient. It consists in a series of ocean processes through which inorganic carbon is fixed as organic matter by photosynthesis in sunlit surface waters and then transported to the ocean interior and possibly the sediment where it will be sequestered from the atmosphere for millions of years. The BCP was long thought as solely the gravitational settling of particulate organic carbon (POC). However, a new paradigm for the BCP has recently been defined in which physically and biologically mediated particle injection pumps have been added to the original definition. Physically mediated particle injection pumps provide a pathway to better understand the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) whereas biologically mediated particle injection pumps focus on the transport of POC by vertically migrating animals, either daily or seasonally. Therefore, a better understanding of these processes could help bridge the gap between carbon leaving the surface and carbon demand in the ocean interior. To address this new paradigm, this work will benefit from the advent of recent sensors that equip a new generation of Biogeochemical-Argo floats (BGC-Argo). The first part focuses on the development of an embedded zooplankton classification model for the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) under strict technical and energy constraints. The second part studies particle and carbon fluxes in the Labrador Sea using BGC-Argo floats equipped for the first time with the UVP6 and an optical sediment trap (OST), providing two independent measurements of sinking particles. The last part consists in revisiting the BCP using a new framework called CONVERSE for Continuous Vertical Sequestration. With this new approach, we re-evaluate the total carbon sequestered from the atmosphere (> 100 years) by the BCP and its transport pathways on the entire water column, in contrast to the carbon sequestration typically assumed below a fixed reference depth.L'océan est connu pour jouer un rôle clé dans le cycle du carbone. Sans lui, les niveaux de CO2 atmosphérique seraient bien plus élevés qu'aujourd'hui grâce à la présence de pompes à carbone qui maintiennent un gradient de carbone inorganique dissous (DIC) entre la surface et le fond de l'océan. La pompe à carbone biologique (BCP) est principalement responsable de ce gradient. Elle consiste en une série de processus océaniques au cours desquels le carbone inorganique est converti en matière organique via la photosynthèse dans les eaux de surface, puis transporté vers l'intérieur de l'océan et éventuellement les sédiments où il sera séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère pour des millions d'années. La BCP était longtemps considérée comme étant uniquement la déposition gravitationnelle de carbone organique particulaire (POC). Cependant, un nouveau paradigme pour la BCP a récemment été défini dans lequel des pompes d’origine physique et biologique d'injection de particules ont été ajoutées à la définition originale. Les pompes physiques d'injection de particules fournissent un moyen de mieux comprendre le transport de carbone organique dissous (DOC), tandis que les pompes biologique d'injection de particules se concentrent sur le transport de POC par des animaux migrant verticalement, quotidiennement ou saisonnièrement. Par conséquent, une meilleure compréhension de ces processus pourrait aider à combler l'écart entre le carbone quittant la surface et la demande de carbone dans l'océan profond. Pour aborder ce nouveau paradigme, ce travail bénéficiera de l'arrivée de capteurs récents équipant une nouvelle génération de flotteurs Biogéochimiques-Argo (BGC-Argo). La première partie se concentre sur le développement d'un modèle embarqué de classification de zooplancton pour l’Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) avec des contraintes techniques et énergétiques strictes. La deuxième partie étudie les flux de particules et de carbone dans la mer du Labrador en utilisant des flotteurs BGC-Argo équipés pour la première fois de l'UVP6 et d'un piège à sédiments optique (OST), fournissant deux mesures indépendantes des particules. La dernière partie consiste à revisiter la BCP en utilisant un nouveau cadre appelé CONVERSE qui fait référence à la séquestration verticale continue du carbone dans la colonne d'eau. Avec cette nouvelle approche, nous réévaluons le carbone total séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère (> 100 ans) par la BCP et ses voies de transport sur toute la colonne d'eau, par opposition à la séquestration de carbone généralement supposée en-dessous d'une profondeur de référence fixe

Vers une meilleur compréhension du transport du carbone dans l'océan global

The ocean is known to play a key role in the carbon cycle. Without it, atmospheric CO2 levels would be much higher than what they are today thanks to the presence of carbon pumps that maintain a gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) between the surface and the deep ocean. The biological carbon pump (BCP) is primarily responsible for this gradient. It consists in a series of ocean processes through which inorganic carbon is fixed as organic matter by photosynthesis in sunlit surface waters and then transported to the ocean interior and possibly the sediment where it will be sequestered from the atmosphere for millions of years. The BCP was long thought as solely the gravitational settling of particulate organic carbon (POC). However, a new paradigm for the BCP has recently been defined in which physically and biologically mediated particle injection pumps have been added to the original definition. Physically mediated particle injection pumps provide a pathway to better understand the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) whereas biologically mediated particle injection pumps focus on the transport of POC by vertically migrating animals, either daily or seasonally. Therefore, a better understanding of these processes could help bridge the gap between carbon leaving the surface and carbon demand in the ocean interior. To address this new paradigm, this work will benefit from the advent of recent sensors that equip a new generation of Biogeochemical-Argo floats (BGC-Argo). The first part focuses on the development of an embedded zooplankton classification model for the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) under strict technical and energy constraints. The second part studies particle and carbon fluxes in the Labrador Sea using BGC-Argo floats equipped for the first time with the UVP6 and an optical sediment trap (OST), providing two independent measurements of sinking particles. The last part consists in revisiting the BCP using a new framework called CONVERSE for Continuous Vertical Sequestration. With this new approach, we re-evaluate the total carbon sequestered from the atmosphere (> 100 years) by the BCP and its transport pathways on the entire water column, in contrast to the carbon sequestration typically assumed below a fixed reference depth.L'océan est connu pour jouer un rôle clé dans le cycle du carbone. Sans lui, les niveaux de CO2 atmosphérique seraient bien plus élevés qu'aujourd'hui grâce à la présence de pompes à carbone qui maintiennent un gradient de carbone inorganique dissous (DIC) entre la surface et le fond de l'océan. La pompe à carbone biologique (BCP) est principalement responsable de ce gradient. Elle consiste en une série de processus océaniques au cours desquels le carbone inorganique est converti en matière organique via la photosynthèse dans les eaux de surface, puis transporté vers l'intérieur de l'océan et éventuellement les sédiments où il sera séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère pour des millions d'années. La BCP était longtemps considérée comme étant uniquement la déposition gravitationnelle de carbone organique particulaire (POC). Cependant, un nouveau paradigme pour la BCP a récemment été défini dans lequel des pompes d’origine physique et biologique d'injection de particules ont été ajoutées à la définition originale. Les pompes physiques d'injection de particules fournissent un moyen de mieux comprendre le transport de carbone organique dissous (DOC), tandis que les pompes biologique d'injection de particules se concentrent sur le transport de POC par des animaux migrant verticalement, quotidiennement ou saisonnièrement. Par conséquent, une meilleure compréhension de ces processus pourrait aider à combler l'écart entre le carbone quittant la surface et la demande de carbone dans l'océan profond. Pour aborder ce nouveau paradigme, ce travail bénéficiera de l'arrivée de capteurs récents équipant une nouvelle génération de flotteurs Biogéochimiques-Argo (BGC-Argo). La première partie se concentre sur le développement d'un modèle embarqué de classification de zooplancton pour l’Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) avec des contraintes techniques et énergétiques strictes. La deuxième partie étudie les flux de particules et de carbone dans la mer du Labrador en utilisant des flotteurs BGC-Argo équipés pour la première fois de l'UVP6 et d'un piège à sédiments optique (OST), fournissant deux mesures indépendantes des particules. La dernière partie consiste à revisiter la BCP en utilisant un nouveau cadre appelé CONVERSE qui fait référence à la séquestration verticale continue du carbone dans la colonne d'eau. Avec cette nouvelle approche, nous réévaluons le carbone total séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère (> 100 ans) par la BCP et ses voies de transport sur toute la colonne d'eau, par opposition à la séquestration de carbone généralement supposée en-dessous d'une profondeur de référence fixe

Vers une meilleur compréhension du transport du carbone dans l'océan global

L'océan est connu pour jouer un rôle clé dans le cycle du carbone. Sans lui, les niveaux de CO2 atmosphérique seraient bien plus élevés qu'aujourd'hui grâce à la présence de pompes à carbone qui maintiennent un gradient de carbone inorganique dissous (DIC) entre la surface et le fond de l'océan. La pompe à carbone biologique (BCP) est principalement responsable de ce gradient. Elle consiste en une série de processus océaniques au cours desquels le carbone inorganique est converti en matière organique via la photosynthèse dans les eaux de surface, puis transporté vers l'intérieur de l'océan et éventuellement les sédiments où il sera séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère pour des millions d'années. La BCP était longtemps considérée comme étant uniquement la déposition gravitationnelle de carbone organique particulaire (POC). Cependant, un nouveau paradigme pour la BCP a récemment été défini dans lequel des pompes d’origine physique et biologique d'injection de particules ont été ajoutées à la définition originale. Les pompes physiques d'injection de particules fournissent un moyen de mieux comprendre le transport de carbone organique dissous (DOC), tandis que les pompes biologique d'injection de particules se concentrent sur le transport de POC par des animaux migrant verticalement, quotidiennement ou saisonnièrement. Par conséquent, une meilleure compréhension de ces processus pourrait aider à combler l'écart entre le carbone quittant la surface et la demande de carbone dans l'océan profond. Pour aborder ce nouveau paradigme, ce travail bénéficiera de l'arrivée de capteurs récents équipant une nouvelle génération de flotteurs Biogéochimiques-Argo (BGC-Argo). La première partie se concentre sur le développement d'un modèle embarqué de classification de zooplancton pour l’Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) avec des contraintes techniques et énergétiques strictes. La deuxième partie étudie les flux de particules et de carbone dans la mer du Labrador en utilisant des flotteurs BGC-Argo équipés pour la première fois de l'UVP6 et d'un piège à sédiments optique (OST), fournissant deux mesures indépendantes des particules. La dernière partie consiste à revisiter la BCP en utilisant un nouveau cadre appelé CONVERSE qui fait référence à la séquestration verticale continue du carbone dans la colonne d'eau. Avec cette nouvelle approche, nous réévaluons le carbone total séquestré par rapport à l'atmosphère (> 100 ans) par la BCP et ses voies de transport sur toute la colonne d'eau, par opposition à la séquestration de carbone généralement supposée en-dessous d'une profondeur de référence fixe.The ocean is known to play a key role in the carbon cycle. Without it, atmospheric CO2 levels would be much higher than what they are today thanks to the presence of carbon pumps that maintain a gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) between the surface and the deep ocean. The biological carbon pump (BCP) is primarily responsible for this gradient. It consists in a series of ocean processes through which inorganic carbon is fixed as organic matter by photosynthesis in sunlit surface waters and then transported to the ocean interior and possibly the sediment where it will be sequestered from the atmosphere for millions of years. The BCP was long thought as solely the gravitational settling of particulate organic carbon (POC). However, a new paradigm for the BCP has recently been defined in which physically and biologically mediated particle injection pumps have been added to the original definition. Physically mediated particle injection pumps provide a pathway to better understand the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) whereas biologically mediated particle injection pumps focus on the transport of POC by vertically migrating animals, either daily or seasonally. Therefore, a better understanding of these processes could help bridge the gap between carbon leaving the surface and carbon demand in the ocean interior. To address this new paradigm, this work will benefit from the advent of recent sensors that equip a new generation of Biogeochemical-Argo floats (BGC-Argo). The first part focuses on the development of an embedded zooplankton classification model for the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) under strict technical and energy constraints. The second part studies particle and carbon fluxes in the Labrador Sea using BGC-Argo floats equipped for the first time with the UVP6 and an optical sediment trap (OST), providing two independent measurements of sinking particles. The last part consists in revisiting the BCP using a new framework called CONVERSE for Continuous Vertical Sequestration. With this new approach, we re-evaluate the total carbon sequestered from the atmosphere (> 100 years) by the BCP and its transport pathways on the entire water column, in contrast to the carbon sequestration typically assumed below a fixed reference depth

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in the Black Sea (29/03/2019) - Station 307

Within the frame of a study on the deep chlorophyll maximum in the Black Sea, water samples were collected conjointly to the deployment of a new Biogeochemical-Argo float (WMO 6903240). The sampling took place onboard the R/V Akademik (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences – Institute of Oceanology) in the western Black Sea (station 307, 43.16°N and 29°E) on March 29, 2018. Water samples were obtained using a CTD carousel with twelve 5 L Niskin bottles. Samples were taken at 12 different depths between the surface and 1000 meters, and were considered to be co-located in time and space with the float deployment. Seawater samples were vacuum filtered through 47 mm diameter Whatman GF/F glass fibre filters (0.7 micrometer pore size). After filtration, filters were stored in liquid nitrogen and kept at -80°C before being analyzed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). HPLC analyses allow the determination of pigments and by extension the chlorophyll a (chl a) with the best known precision. Using this information on chl a, our objective was to validate, using chl a concentrations derived with HPLC, an algorithm that correct the chl a fluorescence measured by Biogeochemical-Argo floats in the Black Sea by removing the contamination due to the fluorescence of dissolved organic matter