Seasonal changes in the sinking export of particulate material under first-year sea ice on the Mackenzie Shelf (western Canadian Arctic)

The sinking export of particulate material under landfast first-year sea ice was studied from the winter period to spring melt on the Mackenzie Shelf, western Canadian Arctic. Short-term particle interceptor traps were deployed at 1, 15, and 25 m under the ice on 16 consecutive occasions from 23 Feb...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine ecology. Progress series (Halstenbek) 2008-01, Vol.353, p.13-25
Main Authors: Juul-Pedersen, Thomas, Michel, Christine, Gosselin, Michel, Seuthe, Lena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Bacillariophyceae
Biomass
Diatoms
Marine
Oceans
Organic materials
Particulate matter
Sea ice
Sea water
Seas
Winter
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Summary:The sinking export of particulate material under landfast first-year sea ice was studied from the winter period to spring melt on the Mackenzie Shelf, western Canadian Arctic. Short-term particle interceptor traps were deployed at 1, 15, and 25 m under the ice on 16 consecutive occasions from 23 February to 20 June 2004. The sinking material was analyzed for chlorophyll (chl)a, phaeopigments, total particulate carbon (TPC), particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON), and biogenic silica (BioSi). The sinking fluxes of chlaand BioSi increased steadily after 19 March and until the onset of spring melt (26 May), after which they increased considerably. The contribution of large algae (>5 μm) to the total chlasinking flux also increased after 19 March, reflecting an increasing contribution of diatoms to the sinking export of algal material. Accordingly, chlasinking fluxes at 1 m showed a significant linear relationship with bottom ice chlabiomass. On average, 46% of the chlaexported at 1 m was lost in the upper 25 m. POC was the main component of the TPC sinking fluxes throughout the study. POC sinking fluxes remained fairly stable until the onset of spring melt, after which a considerable increase was observed. High POC:chlaratios indicated a significant contribution of non-algal material to the sinking POC. The daily sinking loss rate of chla, POC, and PON from the sea ice and interfacial layer (top 1 m of the water column) varied seasonally and was highest during the winter period. Our results illustrate the continuous downward sinking export of organic material under landfast ice, from winter throughout late spring.
ISSN:0171-8630
1616-1599
DOI:10.3354/meps07165