Ocean circulation and biological processes drive seasonal variations of dissolved Al, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Zn on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin
Ocean circulation and biological processes drive seasonal variations of dissolved Al, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Zn on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin
Nutrients and nutrient-like dissolved trace metals (dTMs) are essential for the functioning of marine organisms and therefore form an important part of ocean biogeochemical cycles. Here, we report on the seasonal distributions of dissolved zinc (dZn), nickel (dNi), copper (dCu), cadmium (dCd), aluminum (dAl), and nutrients on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin (Celtic Sea), which is representative for temperate shelf seas globally. Variations in surface water dTM and nutrient concentrations were mainly regulated by seasonal changes in biological processes. The stoichiometry of dTMs (especially for dCu and dZn) and nutrients on the continental shelf was additionally affected by fluvial inputs. Nutrients and dTMs at depth on the continental slope were determined by water mass mixing driven by ocean circulation, without an important role for local remineralization processes. The Mediterranean Outflow Waters are especially important for delivering Mediterranean-sourced dTMs to the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and drive dTM:nutrient kinks at a depth of ~1000 m. These results highlight the importance of riverine inputs, seasonality of primary production and ocean circulation on the distributions of nutrients and nutrient-like dTMs in temperate continental margin seas. Future climate related changes in the forcing factors may impact the availability of nutrients and dTMs to marine organisms in highly productive continental shelf regions and consequently the regional carbon cycle.
continental margins, nutrients, ocean circulation subtropical gyre, seasonal variations, trace metals
Chen, Xue-gang
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Rusiecka, Dagmara
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Gledhill, Martha
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Milne, Angela
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Annett, Amber L.
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Birchill, Antony J.
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Lohan, Maeve C.
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Ussher, Simon
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Woodward, E. Malcolm S.
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Achterberg, Eric P.
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30 May 2023
Chen, Xue-gang
78813301-5484-4b91-9291-31da562d5bff
Rusiecka, Dagmara
70c9f91b-6ed5-451a-bccb-832fb7022724
Gledhill, Martha
da795c1e-1489-4d40-9df1-fc6bde54382d
Milne, Angela
39b44fbd-8f5e-40ea-80c9-244c20998020
Annett, Amber L.
de404d72-7e90-4dbd-884a-1df813808276
Birchill, Antony J.
c922fcef-e0f9-48e4-a9b0-69a1b76c505a
Lohan, Maeve C.
6ca10597-2d0f-40e8-8e4f-7619dfac5088
Ussher, Simon
32006952-df4b-4364-8aae-7b9be1f39745
Woodward, E. Malcolm S.
3a11b7bf-b110-448a-b1ee-ae1ce7d0fef5
Achterberg, Eric P.
685ce961-8c45-4503-9f03-50f6561202b9
Chen, Xue-gang, Rusiecka, Dagmara, Gledhill, Martha, Milne, Angela, Annett, Amber L., Birchill, Antony J., Lohan, Maeve C., Ussher, Simon, Woodward, E. Malcolm S. and Achterberg, Eric P.
(2023)
Ocean circulation and biological processes drive seasonal variations of dissolved Al, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Zn on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin.
Marine Chemistry, 252, [104246].
(doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2023.104246).
Abstract
Nutrients and nutrient-like dissolved trace metals (dTMs) are essential for the functioning of marine organisms and therefore form an important part of ocean biogeochemical cycles. Here, we report on the seasonal distributions of dissolved zinc (dZn), nickel (dNi), copper (dCu), cadmium (dCd), aluminum (dAl), and nutrients on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin (Celtic Sea), which is representative for temperate shelf seas globally. Variations in surface water dTM and nutrient concentrations were mainly regulated by seasonal changes in biological processes. The stoichiometry of dTMs (especially for dCu and dZn) and nutrients on the continental shelf was additionally affected by fluvial inputs. Nutrients and dTMs at depth on the continental slope were determined by water mass mixing driven by ocean circulation, without an important role for local remineralization processes. The Mediterranean Outflow Waters are especially important for delivering Mediterranean-sourced dTMs to the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and drive dTM:nutrient kinks at a depth of ~1000 m. These results highlight the importance of riverine inputs, seasonality of primary production and ocean circulation on the distributions of nutrients and nutrient-like dTMs in temperate continental margin seas. Future climate related changes in the forcing factors may impact the availability of nutrients and dTMs to marine organisms in highly productive continental shelf regions and consequently the regional carbon cycle.
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 May 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 18 May 2023
Published date: 30 May 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors thank the captain and crew of the RSS Discovery for their assistance during research expeditions and Carolyn Harris for the contributing to the macronutrient analysis. The technicians and engineers from NERC National Marine Facilities are thanked for their preparation of the sea-going equipment and their outstanding assistance at sea. This project was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council ( NE/K001973/1 (E. A., M. G. and D.R.), NE/K001779/1 (M. L.), NE/K002023/1 (A. A.), and NE/L501840/1 (A. B.)). E. A. acknowledges funding from GEOMAR and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; AC 217/4-1). The International GEOTRACES Program is possible in part thanks to the support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant OCE-1840868 ) to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR).
Keywords:
continental margins, nutrients, ocean circulation subtropical gyre, seasonal variations, trace metals
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 480981
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/480981
ISSN: 0304-4203
PURE UUID: e81bfe24-a8ea-4f76-99d3-a9bd4aad77bd
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Date deposited: 11 Aug 2023 17:40
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:47
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Contributors
Author:
Xue-gang Chen
Author:
Dagmara Rusiecka
Author:
Martha Gledhill
Author:
Angela Milne
Author:
Antony J. Birchill
Author:
Simon Ussher
Author:
E. Malcolm S. Woodward
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