Variation in biogenic calcite production by coccolithophores across mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal

Haijiao Liu; Yiyan Guo; Misun Yun; Xiaodong Zhang; Guicheng Zhang; Satheeswaran Thangaraj; Wei Zhao; Jun Sun

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113728

Variation in biogenic calcite production by coccolithophores across mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Jun:179:113728. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113728. Epub 2022 May 7.

Authors

Haijiao Liu¹, Yiyan Guo¹, Misun Yun², Xiaodong Zhang¹, Guicheng Zhang¹, Satheeswaran Thangaraj³, Wei Zhao⁴, Jun Sun⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
² College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China.
³ College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China; Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Physical Oceanography Laboratory/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao/Sanya, China; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266000, China.
⁵ Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China. Electronic address: phytoplankton@163.com.

PMID: 35537308
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113728

Abstract

Coccolithophore calcite production (CP) was investigated for the first time in the Bay of Bengal. Against expectation, calcite production was not fueled by the nutrient-enriched cold eddy because of the reduced light penetration. CP rate was observed to be higher at the anticyclonic eddy possibly benefited from rare species production. The adjoining river-induced shallow mixed-layer depth and eddy activity co-influenced CP rate. On average, the integrated CP rates were 0.04, 0.15, and 0.07 mmol C m^-2 h^-1 for the cyclonic eddy, anticyclonic eddy, and outer area, respectively. In the upper photic waters, CP rates showed a strong correlation with primary productivity (PP). However, a decoupling of CP and PP was observed in the lower photic zone due to differential light and nitrogen preferences in calcification and carbon fixation. Our findings could help to understand the biogenic response of eddy and inorganic-organic carbon association in the pelagic biogeochemical cycles.

Keywords: Bay of Bengal; Calcification; Calcification-irradiance curve; Coccolithophores; Eddy activity; River runoffs.

MeSH terms

Bays*
Calcium Carbonate
Carbon
Carbon Cycle
Seawater*

Substances

Carbon
Calcium Carbonate