Factors controlling plankton community production, export flux, and particulate matter stoichiometry in the coastal upwelling system off Peru

Bach, Lennart Thomas; Paul, Allanah Joy; Boxhammer, Tim; von der Esch, Elisabeth; Graco, Michelle; Schulz, Kai Georg; Achterberg, Eric; Aguayo, Paulina; Arístegui, Javier; Ayón, Patrizia; Baños, Isabel; Bernales, Avy; Boegeholz, Anne Sophie; Chavez, Francisco; Chavez, Gabriela; Chen, Shao-Min; Doering, Kristin; Filella, Alba; Fischer, Martin; Grasse, Patricia; Haunost, Mathias; Hennke, Jan; Hernández-Hernández, Nauzet; Hopwood, Mark; Igarza, Maricarmen; Kalter, Verena; Kittu, Leila; Kohnert, Peter; Ledesma, Jesus; Lieberum, Christian; Lischka, Silke; Löscher, Carolin; Ludwig, Andrea; Mendoza, Ursula; Meyer, Jana; Meyer, Judith; Minutolo, Fabrizio; Ortiz Cortes, Joaquin; Piiparinen, Jonna; Sforna, Claudia; Spilling, Kristian; Sanchez, Sonia; Spisla, Carsten; Sswat, Michael; Zavala Moreira, Mabel; Riebesell, Ulf

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4831-2020

Articles | Volume 17, issue 19

Biogeosciences, 17, 4831–4852, 2020

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4831-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue: Ecological and biogeochemical functioning of the coastal upwelling...

Biogeosciences, 17, 4831–4852, 2020

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4831-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 17, issue 19

Research article

| Highlight paper

12 Oct 2020

Research article | Highlight paper | 12 Oct 2020

Factors controlling plankton community production, export flux, and particulate matter stoichiometry in the coastal upwelling system off Peru

Lennart Thomas Bach et al.

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4831-2020-supplement

Data sets

KOSMOS 2017 Peru mesocosm study: overview data L. T. Bach, A. Paul, T. Boxhammer, E. von der Esch, M. Graco, K. G. Schulz, E. P. Achterberg, P. Aguayo, J. Arístegui Ruiz, P. Ayón, I. Banos, A. Bernales, A. S. Boegeholz, F. P. Chavez, S.-M. Chen, K. Doering, A. Filella, M. A. Fischer, P. Grasse, M. Haunost, J. Hennke, N. Hernandez-Hernandez, M. Hopwood, M. Igarza, V. Kalter, L. Kittu, P. Kohnert, J. Ledesma, C. Lieberum, S. Lischka, C. R. Löscher, A. Ludwig, U. Mendoza, J. Meyer, J. Meyer, F. Minutolo, J. Ortiz Cortes, J. Piiparinen, C. Sforna, K. Spilling, S. Sanchez, C. Spisla, M. Sswat, M. Zavala Moreira, and U. Riebesell https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.923395

Video supplement

Orni-eutrophication by Inca terns (Larosterna inca) during the KOSMOS study 2017 in the coastal upwelling system off Peru Tim Boxhammer, Lennart Thomas Bach, Michael Sswat, and Ulf Riebesell https://doi.org/10.3289/ORNI_EUTROPHICATION

Short summary

The eastern boundary upwelling system off Peru is among Earth's most productive ocean ecosystems, but the factors that control its functioning are poorly constrained. Here we used mesocosms, moored ~ 6 km offshore Peru, to investigate how processes in plankton communities drive key biogeochemical processes. We show that nutrient and light co-limitation keep productivity and export at a remarkably constant level while stoichiometry changes strongly with shifts in plankton community structure.