Large deep-sea zooplankton biomass mirrors primary production in the global ocean

S. Hernández-León (), R. Koppelmann, E. Fraile-Nuez, A. Bode, C. Mompeán, X. Irigoien, M. P. Olivar, F. Echevarría, M. L. Fernández de Puelles, J. I. González-Gordillo, A. Cózar, J. L. Acuña, S. Agustí and C. M. Duarte
Additional contact information
S. Hernández-León: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Unidad Asociada ULPGC-CSIC
R. Koppelmann: Universität Hamburg
E. Fraile-Nuez: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Vía Espaldón, Dársena Pesquera
A. Bode: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña
C. Mompeán: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña
X. Irigoien: AZTI, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g
M. P. Olivar: Institut de Ciències del Mar
F. Echevarría: Universidad de Cádiz
M. L. Fernández de Puelles: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares
J. I. González-Gordillo: Universidad de Cádiz
A. Cózar: Universidad de Cádiz
J. L. Acuña: Universidad de Oviedo
S. Agustí: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
C. M. Duarte: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The biological pump transports organic carbon produced by photosynthesis to the meso- and bathypelagic zones, the latter removing carbon from exchanging with the atmosphere over centennial time scales. Organisms living in both zones are supported by a passive flux of particles, and carbon transported to the deep-sea through vertical zooplankton migrations. Here we report globally-coherent positive relationships between zooplankton biomass in the epi-, meso-, and bathypelagic layers and average net primary production (NPP). We do so based on a global assessment of available deep-sea zooplankton biomass data and large-scale estimates of average NPP. The relationships obtained imply that increased NPP leads to enhanced transference of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Estimated remineralization from respiration rates by deep-sea zooplankton requires a minimum supply of 0.44 Pg C y−1 transported into the bathypelagic ocean, comparable to the passive carbon sequestration. We suggest that the global coupling between NPP and bathypelagic zooplankton biomass must be also supported by an active transport mechanism associated to vertical zooplankton migration.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19875-7

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