Sinking of Gelatinous Zooplankton Biomass Increases Deep Carbon Transfer Efficiency Globally. Issue 12 (30th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lebrato, Mario; Pahlow, Markus; Frost, Jessica R.; Küter, Marie; de Jesus Mendes, Pedro; Molinero, Juan‐Carlos; Oschlies, Andreas
• Is Part Of: Global biogeochemical cycles. Volume 33:Issue 12(2019:Dec.)
• Page Start: 1764
• Page End: 1783
• Publication Date: 2019-12-30
• Subjects: Jelly‐C -- carbon -- gelatinous -- zooplankton -- modeling -- transfer efficiency; Biogeochemical cycles -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 577.1405
• DOI: 10.1029/2019GB006265
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0886-6236

Abstract

Abstract: Gelatinous zooplankton (Cnidaria, Ctenophora, and Urochordata, namely, Thaliacea) are ubiquitous members of plankton communities linking primary production to higher trophic levels and the deep ocean by serving as food and transferring "jelly‐carbon" (jelly‐C) upon bloom collapse. Global biomass within the upper 200 m reaches 0.038 Pg C, which, with a 2–12 months life span, serves as the lower limit for annual jelly‐C production. Using over 90, 000 data points from 1934 to 2011 from the Jellyfish Database Initiative as an indication of global biomass (JeDI: http://jedi.nceas.ucsb.edu, http://www.bco‐dmo.org/dataset/526852 ), upper ocean jelly‐C biomass and production estimates, organism vertical migration, jelly‐C sinking rates, and water column temperature profiles from GLODAPv2, we quantitatively estimate jelly‐C transfer efficiency based on Longhurst Provinces. From the upper 200 m production estimate of 0.038 Pg C year −1, 59–72% reaches 500 m, 46–54% reaches 1, 000 m, 43–48% reaches 2, 000 m, 32–40% reaches 3, 000 m, and 25–33% reaches 4, 500 m. This translates into ~0.03, 0.02, 0.01, and 0.01 Pg C year −1, transferred down to 500, 1, 000, 2, 000, and 4, 500 m, respectively. Jelly‐C fluxes and transfer efficiencies can occasionally exceed phytodetrital‐based sediment trap estimates in localized open ocean and continental shelves areas under large gelatinous blooms or jelly‐C mass deposition events, but this remains ephemeral and transient in nature. This transfer of fast and permanently exported carbon reaching the ocean interior via jelly‐C constitutes an important component of the global biological soft‐tissue pump, and should be addressed in ocean biogeochemical models, in particular, at the local and regional scale. Key Points: Gelatinous zooplankton link primary production to higher trophic levels and the deep ocean by serving as food and transferring jelly‐C From global jelly‐C production (0.038 Pg C year −1 ) 59–72% reaches 500 m, 46–54% to 1, 000 m, 43–48% to 2, 000 m, 32–40% to 3, 000 m, 25–33% to 4, 500 m The jelly‐C flux reaching the ocean interior is larger than anticipated for an important component of the global biological soft‐tissue pump