Euphotic zone metabolism in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre based on
oxygen dynamics
Abstract
We report in situ rates of gross oxygen production (GOP), community
respiration (R), and net community production (NCP) in the North Pacific
Subtropical Gyre derived from mixed layer O/Ar measurements. The
measurements were conducted between November 2013 and January 2019 at
the site of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program. Biological O
concentration anomalies in the mixed layer showed a consistent diel
variation, with values increasing during daytime due to net primary
production and decreasing during nighttime due to respiration. In situ
mixed layer GOP and R, determined from these variations, co-varied but
showed no clear seasonal pattern, averaging 0.9 and 0.8 mmol O m d,
respectively. In situ rates of NCP determined from mixed layer O/Ar
ranged between -0.7 and 17.6 mmol O m d. Our analyses indicate that at
certain times of the year the diapycnal flux of O across the base of the
mixed layer may be non-negligible and therefore a fraction of
O/Ar-derived NCP may form below the mixed layer. The seasonal
climatology of NCP below the mixed layer (down to 150 m) was also
estimated using near-monthly changes in dissolved O concentrations.
These calculations allowed us to estimate NCP for the entire euphotic
zone (0-150 m), which shows pronounced seasonality, with a maximum in
May and a minimum in December, when the ecosystem becomes temporarily
net heterotrophic. Annual NCP was estimated to be 2.4 ± 0.5 mol O m yr,
approximately twice the export of C through sinking particles captured
in sediment traps at 150 m.