Does the settling column method underestimate phytoplankton sinking speeds?

Phytoplankton sinking is a major component of vertical ocean carbon and nutrient fluxes, and sinking is an integral component of phytoplankton biology and ecology. Much of our understanding of phytoplankton sinking derives from the settling column method (SETCOL) in which sinking speeds are calculat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Royal Society open science 2024-02, Vol.11 (2), p.231455-7
Main Authors: Du Clos, Kevin T, Gemmell, Brad J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology
Carbon
Cell migration
Convection
Convection currents
diatom
Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
Generalized linear models
Image processing
Methods
Particle image velocimetry
Phytoplankton
Plankton
Review
Salinity
SETCOL
Settling
settling column method
Sinking
Stratified water
Velocity
Water circulation
Water column
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Summary:Phytoplankton sinking is a major component of vertical ocean carbon and nutrient fluxes, and sinking is an integral component of phytoplankton biology and ecology. Much of our understanding of phytoplankton sinking derives from the settling column method (SETCOL) in which sinking speeds are calculated from the proportion of cells reaching the bottom of a water-filled column after a set time. Video-based methods are a recent alternative to SETCOL in which sinking speeds are measured by tracking the movement of individual cells in a salinity-stratified water column. In this study, we present the results of a meta-analysis showing that SETCOL produces significantly and consistently lower sinking speeds than the video method. Next, we perform a particle image velocimetry analysis, which shows that the observed discrepancy in sinking speeds between the two methods can probably be explained by weak convection currents in the SETCOLs. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for the interpretation of past and future phytoplankton sinking speed measurements and models that rely on those measurements.
ISSN:2054-5703
2054-5703
DOI:10.1098/rsos.231455