Counterintuitive carbon-to-nutrient coupling in an Arctic pelagic ecosystem

T. F. Thingstad (), R. G. J. Bellerby, G. Bratbak, K. Y. Børsheim, J. K. Egge, M. Heldal, A. Larsen, C. Neill, J. Nejstgaard, S. Norland, R.-A. Sandaa, E. F. Skjoldal, T. Tanaka, R. Thyrhaug and B. Töpper
Additional contact information
T. F. Thingstad: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
R. G. J. Bellerby: Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway
G. Bratbak: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
K. Y. Børsheim: Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 1870, Nordnes 5817 Bergen, Norway
J. K. Egge: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
M. Heldal: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
A. Larsen: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
C. Neill: Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway
J. Nejstgaard: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
S. Norland: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
R.-A. Sandaa: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
E. F. Skjoldal: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
T. Tanaka: Laboratoire d’Océanographie et de Biogéochimie, UMR6535-CNRS, Campus de Luminy, Case 901, 13288 Marseille CEDEX09, France
R. Thyrhaug: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
B. Töpper: University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5PO Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway

Nature, 2008, vol. 455, issue 7211, 387-390

Abstract: Feeding the oceans: more carbon is less An experiment in which degradable organic carbon was added to Arctic waters has come up with the counterintuitive finding that in certain conditions, the addition of carbon actually reduces total organic carbon in the ecosystem. The outcome depends on the species interactions within the food web and how they are affected by nutrient supply. When mineral nutrients are limiting, organic carbon accumulates in the system, while in a system limited by organic carbon, marine bacteria are able to outcompete phytoplankton, with the net result a reduction in total organic carbon. This result highlight how descriptions of present and future states of the oceanic carbon cycle depend upon an understanding of the stoichiometric coupling between carbon and growth-limiting mineral nutrients within the marine food web.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07235

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