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Mesopelagic zone ecology and biogeochemistry – a synthesis

Mesopelagic zone ecology and biogeochemistry – a synthesis
Mesopelagic zone ecology and biogeochemistry – a synthesis
The mesopelagic zone is the oceanic region through which carbon and other elements must pass in order to reach deeper waters or the sea floor. However, the food web interactions that occur in the mesopelagic zone are difficult to measure and so, despite their crucial importance to global elemental cycles, are not very well known. Recent developments in technology and new approaches have advanced the study of the variability in and controls upon the distribution and diversity of organisms in the mesopelagic zone, including the roles of respiration, recycling, and repackaging of particulate and dissolved organic material. However, there are remarkably few syntheses of the ecology and biogeochemistry of the microbes and metazoa that permanently reside or habitually visit this ‘twilight zone’. Without this synthesis, it is difficult to assess the impact of ongoing changes in ocean hydrography and chemistry, due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, on the biological carbon pump. This paper reviews what is known about the distribution of microbes and metazoa in the mesopelagic zone in relation to their activity and impact on global biogeochemical cycles. Thus, gaps in our knowledge are identified and suggestions made for priority research programmes that will improve our ability to predict the effects of climate change on carbon sequestration.
0967-0645
1504-1518
Robinson, Carol
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Steinberg, Deborah K.
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Anderson, Thomas R.
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Arístegui, Javier
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Carlson, Craig A.
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Frost, Jessica R.
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Ghiglione, Jean-François
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Hernández-León, Santiago
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Jackson, George A.
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Koppelmann, Rolf
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Quéguiner, Bernard
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Rassoulzadegan, Fereidoun
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Robison, Bruce H.
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Tamburini, Christian
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Tanaka, Tsuneo
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Wishner, Karen F.
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Zhang, Jing
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Robinson, Carol
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Steinberg, Deborah K.
e4ce9b1a-f16d-4a73-a834-786ff9e3c2ef
Anderson, Thomas R.
dfed062f-e747-48d3-b59e-2f5e57a8571d
Arístegui, Javier
fa3df57a-07f6-4bfd-a319-b56ecb4433d8
Carlson, Craig A.
91c79d89-d22c-4a56-9927-06fb50d2ef59
Frost, Jessica R.
4f9b2164-3345-48b4-b170-698c79465aad
Ghiglione, Jean-François
6c16d9e3-b1c5-407c-b1e3-ae62ac7fc2e3
Hernández-León, Santiago
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Jackson, George A.
cbf0b92d-1e05-463f-9ce5-bf5268f09d61
Koppelmann, Rolf
a8911473-1041-4368-bd6f-c40e60c2cc1c
Quéguiner, Bernard
c0efa661-2537-4f7f-a637-cc7267ec20e7
Rassoulzadegan, Fereidoun
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Robison, Bruce H.
d83a6410-582f-4f2b-95f3-ffac89455e5c
Tamburini, Christian
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Tanaka, Tsuneo
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Wishner, Karen F.
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Zhang, Jing
d6afba24-5cbe-4ff1-967f-486e75419b99

Robinson, Carol, Steinberg, Deborah K., Anderson, Thomas R., Arístegui, Javier, Carlson, Craig A., Frost, Jessica R., Ghiglione, Jean-François, Hernández-León, Santiago, Jackson, George A., Koppelmann, Rolf, Quéguiner, Bernard, Rassoulzadegan, Fereidoun, Robison, Bruce H., Tamburini, Christian, Tanaka, Tsuneo, Wishner, Karen F. and Zhang, Jing (2010) Mesopelagic zone ecology and biogeochemistry – a synthesis. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 57 (16), 1504-1518. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.02.018).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The mesopelagic zone is the oceanic region through which carbon and other elements must pass in order to reach deeper waters or the sea floor. However, the food web interactions that occur in the mesopelagic zone are difficult to measure and so, despite their crucial importance to global elemental cycles, are not very well known. Recent developments in technology and new approaches have advanced the study of the variability in and controls upon the distribution and diversity of organisms in the mesopelagic zone, including the roles of respiration, recycling, and repackaging of particulate and dissolved organic material. However, there are remarkably few syntheses of the ecology and biogeochemistry of the microbes and metazoa that permanently reside or habitually visit this ‘twilight zone’. Without this synthesis, it is difficult to assess the impact of ongoing changes in ocean hydrography and chemistry, due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, on the biological carbon pump. This paper reviews what is known about the distribution of microbes and metazoa in the mesopelagic zone in relation to their activity and impact on global biogeochemical cycles. Thus, gaps in our knowledge are identified and suggestions made for priority research programmes that will improve our ability to predict the effects of climate change on carbon sequestration.

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Published date: 15 August 2010
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

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Local EPrints ID: 160653
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/160653
ISSN: 0967-0645
PURE UUID: dcd25a5a-5be5-4089-ba7c-8e29f96540f0

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Date deposited: 16 Jul 2010 12:00
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 01:57

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Contributors

Author: Carol Robinson
Author: Deborah K. Steinberg
Author: Thomas R. Anderson
Author: Javier Arístegui
Author: Craig A. Carlson
Author: Jessica R. Frost
Author: Jean-François Ghiglione
Author: Santiago Hernández-León
Author: George A. Jackson
Author: Rolf Koppelmann
Author: Bernard Quéguiner
Author: Fereidoun Rassoulzadegan
Author: Bruce H. Robison
Author: Christian Tamburini
Author: Tsuneo Tanaka
Author: Karen F. Wishner
Author: Jing Zhang

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