Critical uncoupling between biogeochemical stocks and rates in Ross Sea springtime production-export dynamics

Meyer, Meredith G., Portela, Esther, Smith Jr., Walker O. and Heywood, Karen J. (2025) Critical uncoupling between biogeochemical stocks and rates in Ross Sea springtime production-export dynamics. Ocean Science, 21 (4). 1223–1236. ISSN 1812-0784

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Abstract

Three biogeochemical glider surveys in the Ross Sea between 2010 and 2023 were combined and analysed to assess production–export stock and rate dynamics. As the most productive of any Antarctic continental shelf, the Ross Sea is a site of substantial physical and biogeochemical interest. While this region and its annual bloom have been characterised for decades, logistical constraints, such as ship time and sea ice cover, have prevented a comprehensive understanding of this region over long (> 1–2 months) timescales and at high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we use high-resolution datasets from autonomous gliders in mass balance equations to calculate short-term (days to weeks) net community production via oxygen concentration, change in particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration over time, and POC export potential during the period of peak primary production in the region (November–February). Our results show an overall decoupling of net community production (NCP), driven by biologic changes in oxygen, from overall biomass concentration as well as changes in POC over time. NCP and carbon change vary between seasons and appear related to changes in ice concentration and stratification. Substantial spatiotemporal variability exists in all datasets, but high-resolution sampling reveals short-term variations that are likely masked in other studies. Our study reinforces the need for high-resolution sampling and supports previous classifications of the Ross Sea as a high-productivity (average NCP range −0.7 to 0.2 g C m−2 d−1), low-export (average changes in POC over time range −0.1 to 0.1 g C m−2 d−1) system during the productive austral spring and sheds additional light on the mechanisms controlling these processes.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data availability: All data presented here are publicly available at the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/532608 (Smith Jr., 2014) and https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/568868 (Smith Jr., 2015), dataset IDs 532608 and 568868) and the British Oceanographic Data Centre (https://platforms.bodc.ac.uk/metadata-viewer/?DeploymentId=597, deployment ID 596). Auxiliary data utilised in figures and equations can be found at https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de (Spreen et al., 2008) (sea ice concentration) and http://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data.ncep.reanalysis.html (Kalnay et al., 1996) (wind and sea level pressure). Funding information: This research was funded by the NSFGEO–NERC collaborative project P2P: Plankton to Predators–Biophysical Controls in Antarctic Polynyas (NERC grant NE/W00755X/1 supported Meredith G. Meyer, Esther Portela, Karen J. Heywood, and the 2022–2023 glider deployment) and the National Science Foundation (grant ANT-2040571 supported Meredith G. Meyer, Walker O. Smith Jr., and the 2022–2023 glider deployment). The glider campaign was further supported by COMPASS: Climate-relevant Ocean Measurements and Processes on the Antarctic Continental Shelf and Slope (European Research Council, Horizon 2020: grant no. 741120).
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2025 10:30
Last Modified:	07 Jul 2025 10:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/99848
DOI:	10.5194/os-21-1223-2025

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