Both respiration and photosynthesis determine the scaling of plankton metabolism in the oligotrophic ocean

Pablo Serret (), Carol Robinson, María Aranguren-Gassis, Enma Elena García-Martín, Niki Gist, Vassilis Kitidis, José Lozano, John Stephens, Carolyn Harris and Rob Thomas
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Pablo Serret: Universidad de Vigo
Carol Robinson: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
María Aranguren-Gassis: Universidad de Vigo
Enma Elena García-Martín: Universidad de Vigo
Niki Gist: Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Vassilis Kitidis: Plymouth Marine Laboratory
José Lozano: Universidad de Vigo
John Stephens: Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Carolyn Harris: Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Rob Thomas: British Oceanographic Data Centre

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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 14C) 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 P:R 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.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7961

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