Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-418
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-418
16 Oct 2018
 | 16 Oct 2018
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal BG but the revision was not accepted.

Surface transport of DOC acts as a trophic link among Mediterranean sub-basins

Chiara Santinelli, Roberto Iacono, Ernesto Napolitano, and Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalá

Abstract. Characterizing carbon cycling and redistribution in the ocean is an important issue for Mankind, because it may affect key ecosystem services, e.g., support to climate system and food provision. In this paper, using an integrated approach, we explore the impact of the surface circulation on carbon dynamics in the Western Mediterranean Sea, where strong inter-basin differences in primary production do exist. Detailed information on the surface circulation, derived from high-resolution model simulations, is combined with the analysis of accurate, repeated dissolved organic carbon (DOC) data. Our work indicates that the advection of the Atlantic Water acts as a trophic link between the Algerian Basin and the Tyrrhenian Sea, determining a flux of 8.8–37.9 × 1012 g DOC yr−1 into the basin. Thus, surface transport of DOC can redistribute chemical energy among regions with different trophic regimes. We hypothesize that this overlooked mechanism plays an important role also in the global ocean.

Chiara Santinelli, Roberto Iacono, Ernesto Napolitano, and Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalá
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Chiara Santinelli, Roberto Iacono, Ernesto Napolitano, and Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalá
Chiara Santinelli, Roberto Iacono, Ernesto Napolitano, and Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalá

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Short summary
Part of the energy in the ocean is stored as dissolved organic carbon. Water moves around, bringing this energy from one place to another, down to the deep layers and up again. Here, we show that horizontal currents can have a strong impact on the carbon cycle, because they can transport chemical energy far away, establishing links between distant areas of the ocean and feeding regions in which the local accumulation of chemical energy is low.
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