Dissolution Dominates Silica Cycling in a Shelf Sea Autumn Bloom

Poulton, AJ, Mayers, KMJ, Daniels, CJ, Stinchcombe, MC, Woodward, EMS, Hopkins, J, Wihsgott, JU and Widdicombe, CE 2019 Dissolution Dominates Silica Cycling in a Shelf Sea Autumn Bloom. Geophysical Research Letters, 46 (12). 6765-6774. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083558

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Abstract/Summary

Autumn phytoplankton blooms represent key periods of production in temperate and high‐latitude seas. Biogenic silica (bSiO2) production, dissolution, and standing stocks were determined in the Celtic Sea (United Kingdom) during November 2014. Dissolution rates were in excess of bSiO2 production, indicating a net loss of bSiO2. Estimated diatom bSiO2 contributed ≤10% to total bSiO2, with detritalbSiO2 supportingrapidSicycling.Basedontheaveragebiomass‐specificdissolutionrate(0.2day−1), 3weekswouldbeneededtodissolve99%ofthebSiO2 present.NegativenetbSiO2 productionwasassociated with low‐light conditions (<4 E·m−2·day−1). Our observations imply that dissolution dominates Si cycling during autumn, with low‐light conditions also likely to influence Si cycling during winter and early spring.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	Rates of biogenic silica dissolution were greater than rates of production during late autumn • A large fraction of detrital biogenic silica was present, with living biomass a minor fraction • Low‐light and high detrital biogenic silica promotes net dissolution rather than net production
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Biochemistry and Observations
Depositing User:	S Hawkins
Date made live:	24 Mar 2020 10:16
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2020 10:02
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/8901

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