Articles | Volume 22, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6309-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6309-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
04 Nov 2025
Research article |
| 04 Nov 2025
| 04 Nov 2025
Distribution and fluxes of marine particles in the South China Sea continental slope: implications for carbon export
Shujin Guo
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
Mingliang Zhu
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
Wenlong Xu
Ocean College, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
Shan Zheng
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
Sumei Liu
Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Ying Wu
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Faculty of Earth Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 201100, China
Juan Du
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
Chenhao Zhao
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Xiaoxia Sun
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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We studied how an underwater ridge in the tropical Pacific Ocean affects ocean life and carbon movement. We found that the ridge brings deep, nutrient-rich water to the surface, boosting microscopic plant growth and the sinking of organic particles to the deep ocean. This natural process helps remove carbon from the atmosphere. Our findings show that underwater ridges may play a bigger role in climate regulation than previously thought.
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We studied how an underwater ridge in the tropical Pacific Ocean affects ocean life and carbon movement. We found that the ridge brings deep, nutrient-rich water to the surface, boosting microscopic plant growth and the sinking of organic particles to the deep ocean. This natural process helps remove carbon from the atmosphere. Our findings show that underwater ridges may play a bigger role in climate regulation than previously thought.
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Revised manuscript not accepted
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The present study reported on diel variations of planktonic ciliate community structure in the nSCS and tWP, and ciliate do preformed diel vertical migrations. In both the nSCS and tWP, abundance proportions of large size-fraction aloricate ciliates in night were higher than in day. While for tintinnids, abundance proportion of large lorica oral diameter in night were lower than in day.
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A predictor selection algorithm was constructed to decrease the predicting error in the surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) mapping by finding better combinations of pCO2 predictors in different regions. Compared with previous research using the same combination of predictors in all regions, using different predictors selected by the algorithm in different regions can effectively decrease pCO2 predicting errors.
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Short summary
We studied how marine particles in the ocean help move carbon from surface waters to the deep sea along the South China Sea slope. Using underwater cameras, we found that large particles, although fewer in number, carry most of the carbon downward. Ocean eddies strongly influenced this process: compared with anticyclonic eddies, cyclonic eddies increased the proportion of large particles, thereby enhancing carbon export.
We studied how marine particles in the ocean help move carbon from surface waters to the deep...
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