Vertical and latitudinal variations in amino acid fluxes and compositions of settling particles along 175&#xb0;E in the North Pacific Ocean

Lallan P. Gupta; Hodaka Kawahata

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v55i2.16758

Vertical and latitudinal variations in amino acid fluxes and compositions of settling particles along 175°E in the North Pacific Ocean

Authors:

Lallan P. Gupta ,

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba-shi, 305-8567, JP

Hodaka Kawahata

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba-shi, 305-8567; Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, JP

Abstract

Settling particles collected by sediment traps deployed for about one year (1993–94) at four sites along 175°E longitude in the central North Pacific have been analyzed for amino acids (AA) and amino sugars (or hexosamines, HA). These compounds account for about 12.5–27.9% of particulate organic carbon flux to the deep ocean. Biogeochemical indicator parameters varied in the range comparable with similar studies conducted in other oceanic sites. Correlations between non-protein AA (β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid) and flux parameters indicate repackaging of settling particulate organic matter (POM) around intermediate water depth (below 1500 m) at all trap sites. Mean values of indicator parameters in the shallow trap differ significantly (Student’s t-test; p < 0.03) from those in deep traps at the same site. Latitudinal trends in POM flux and its labile composition suggest that relatively fresh POM is being deposited at a higher rate in the subarctic area of the Pacific. However, this trend is not so clear in deep traps, probably due to the influence of bioactive transport and deposition of laterally advected particles in these traps. Total and particulate organic carbon fluxes normalized to primary productivity estimates show a sharp rise in efficiency of the biological pump towards the subarctic area, which is responsible for enhanced fluxes of particles with a high labile content to the deep ocean in this part of the Pacific.

How to Cite: Gupta, L.P. and Kawahata, H., 2003. Vertical and latitudinal variations in amino acid fluxes and compositions of settling particles along 175°E in the North Pacific Ocean. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 55(2), pp.445–455. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v55i2.16758

Accepted on 1 Jul 2002 Submitted on 27 Dec 2001

References

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CLIMAP Project Members 1976 . The surface of the Ice-Age Earth . Science 191 , 1131 – 1137 .

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Gupta , L. P. and Kawahata , H . 2002. Impact of ENSO vari-ability on the flux and composition of sinking POM in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean: Amino acids and hex-osamines. Deep-Sea Res. 11 49, 2769 – 2782.

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Kandler , O . 1979. Zellwandstrulcturen bei Methan-Balcterian. Naturwissenschaften 66, 95 – 105.

Kawahata , H. , Suzuki , A. and Ohta , H . 1998 . Sinking parti-cles between the Equatorial and Subarctic regions (0°N-46°N) in the central Pacific . Geochem. J . 32 , 125 – 133 .

Kawahata , H. , Suzuki , A. and Ohta , H . 2000a . Export fluxes in the Western Pacific Warm Pool . Deep-Sea Res . 47 , 2061 – 2091 .

Kawahata , H. , Okamoto , T. , Matsumoto , E. and Ujiie , H . 2000b . Fluctuations of eolian flux and ocean productivity in the mid-latitude north Pacific during the last 200 kyr . Q. Sci. Rev . 19 , 1279 – 1291 .

Kawahata , H. and Ohshima , H . 2002 . Small latitudinal shift in the Kuroshio Extension during the glacial times evidenced by pollen transportation . Q. Sci. Rev . 21 , 1705 – 1717 .

Kennish , M. J . 1994. Practical handbook of marine science. 2nd Edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton. 566 pp.

Lee , C. and Cronin , C . 1982 . The vertical flux of particulate organic nitrogen in the sea: decomposition of amino acids in the Peru upwelling area and the equatorial Atlantic . J. Marine Res . 40 , 227 – 251 .

Lee , C. and Cronin , C . 1984 . Particulate amino acids in the sea: Effects of primary productivity and biological decom-position . J. Marine Res . 42 , 1075 – 1097 .

Lee , C. , Wakeham , S. G. and Hedges , J. 1.2000. Composition and flux of particulate amino acids and chloropigments in equatorial Pacific seawater and sediments. Deep-Sea Res. 47, 1535 – 1568.

Lehninger , A. L . 1982 . Principles of biochemistry . Worth Publishers , New York , 1011 pp .

Mackey , D. J. , Parslow , J. , Griffiths , E B. , Higgins , H. W. and Tilbrook , B . 1997 . Phytoplanlcton productivity and the carbon cycle in the western Equatorial Pacific under El Nino and non-El Niiio conditions . Geophys. Res. Lett . 24 , 1319 – 1322 .

Mayzaud , P. and Martin , J.-L. M . 1975 . Some aspects of the biochemical and mineral composition of marine plankton . J. Exp. Marine Biol . 17 , 297 – 310 .

McCarthy , M. , Hedges , J. and Benner , R . 1998 . Major bac-terial contribution to marine dissolved organic nitrogen . Science 281 , 231 – 234 .

Muller , P. J. , Suess , E. and Ungerer C. A . 1986 . Amino acids and amino sugars of surface particulate and sediment trap material from waters of the Scotia Sea . Deep Sea Res . 33 , 819 – 838 .

Nozalci , Y. and Tsunogai , S . 1973 . Lead-210 in the North Pacific and the transport of terrestrial material through the atmosphere . Earth Planet. Sci. Lett . 20 , 88 – 92 .

Peinert , R. , von Bodungen, B. and Smetacek, V. S. 1989. Food web structure and loss rate. In: Productivity of the oceans: present and past (eds. W. H. Berger, V. S. Smetacek and G. Wefer), Dahlem Konferezen, John Wiley and Sons, 35 – 48

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Sarmiento , J. L. , Hughes , T. M. C. , Stouffer , R. J. and Manabe , S . 1998 . Simulated response of the ocean car-bon cycle to anthropogenic climate warming . Nature 393 , 245 – 249 .

Scharek , R. , Tupas , L. M. and Karl , D. M. 1999. Diatom fluxes to the deep sea in the oligotrophic North Pacific gyre at Station ALOHA. Marine EcoL Pmg. Ser. 182 , 55 – 67. Smetacek, V. 1998. Diatoms and the silicate factor. Nature 391, 224 – 225.

Strahlendorff , K . 1988. Organisch-geochemische Unter-suchungen an Schwebstoffen der Nordsee. Master The-sis, Geological Paleontological Institute, University of Hamburg, 74 pp.

Suthhof , A. , Jennerjahn , T. C. , Schafer , P. and Ittekkot , V . 2000. Nature of organic matter in surface sediments from the Pakistan continental margin and the deep Arabian Sea: amino acids. Deep-Sea Res. 11 47, 329 – 351.

Takahashi K. 1998. The Bering and Okhotsk Seas: modern and past paleoceanographic changes and gateway impact. J. Asian Earth Sci. 16, 49 – 58.

Trenberth , K. E . 1997 . The use and abuse of climate models . Nature 386 , 131 – 133 .

Wakeham , S. G. , Lee , C. , Hedges , J. I. , Hernes , P. J. and Peterson , M. L. 1997. Molecular indicators of diagenetic status in marine organic matter. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 61, 5363 – 5369.

Walsh , I. , Dymond , J. and Collier , R. 1988. Rates of recycling of biogenic components of settling particles in the ocean derived from sediment trap experiments. Deep-Sea Res. 35, 43 – 58.

Windom , H. L . 1975 . Eolian contributions to marine sedi-ments . J. Sed. Petrol . 45 , 520 – 529 .

Wolla , M. D. , Lau , P. Y. , Morgan , S. L. , Fox , A. L. and Brown , A. 1984. Capillary gas chromatography - mass spectrom-etry of carbohydrate components of Legionelle and other bacteria. J. Chromatogr. 288, 399 – 413.

[CIT0001] Berger , W. H. , Smetacek , V. S. and Wefer , G . 1989. Ocean productivity and paleoproductivity: an overview. In: Pro-ductivity of the oceans: present and past (eds. W. H. Berger, V. S. Smetacek and G. Wefer), Dahlem Konferezen. John Wiley and Sons, 1 – 34

[CIT0002] Boyd , P. and Harrison , P. J. 1999. Phytoplanlcton dynamics in the NE subarctic Pacific. Deep-Sea Res. II 46, 2405 – 2432.

[CIT0003] Bronk , D. A. , Glibert , P. M. and Ward , B. B . 1994 . Nitro-gen uptake, dissolved organic nitrogen release, and new production . Science 265 , 1843 – 1846 .

[CIT0004] Buesseler , K.O. , Ball , L. , Andrews , J. , Cochran , J. K. , Hirschberg , D. J. , Bacon , M. P. , Fleer, A. and Brzezin-ski, M. 2001. Upper ocean export of particulate organic carbon and biogenic silica in the Southern Ocean along 170 degrees W. Deep-Sea Res. 11 48, 4275 – 4297.

[CIT0005] CLIMAP Project Members 1976 . The surface of the Ice-Age Earth . Science 191 , 1131 – 1137 .

[CIT0006] Cowie , G. L. and Hedges , J. I . 1994 . Biochemical indicators of diagenetic alteration in natural organic matter mixtures . Nature 369 , 304 – 307 .

[CIT0007] Cowie , G. L. and Hedges , J. I . 1996 . Digestion and alter-ation of the biochemical constituents of a diatom (Thalas-siosira weissflogii) ingested by an herbivorous zooplank-ton (Calanus paci ficus) . Limnol. Oceanogr. 41 , 581 – 594 .

[CIT0008] Dauwe , B. and Middelburg , J. J . 1998 . Amino acids and hexosamines as indicators of organic matter degradation state in North Sea sediments . Limnol. Oceanogr . 43 , 782 – 798 .

[CIT0009] Dugdale , R. C. and Wilkerson, E P. 1998. Silicate regula-tion of new production in the equatorial Pacific upwelling. Nature 391, 270 – 273.

[CIT0010] Fallcowski , R , Scholes , R. J. , Boyle , E. , Canadell , J. , Canfield , D. , Elser , J. , Gruber , N. , Hibbard , K. , Hogberg , P. , Linder , S. , Mackenzie , F. T. , Moore BI, B., Pedersen, T., Rosenthal, Y., Seitzinger, S., Smetacek, V. and Steffen, W. 2000. The global carbon cycle: A test of our knowledge of Earth as a system. Science 290, 291 – 296.

[CIT0011] Gupta , L. P. , Subramanian , V. and Ittekkot , V . 1997 . Biogeo-chemistry of particulate organic matter transported by the Godavari River, India . Biogeochemistiy 38 , 103 – 128 .

[CIT0012] Gupta , L. P. and Kawahata , H . 2000 . Amino acid and hex-osamine compositions and flux of sinking particulate mat-ter into the equatorial Pacific at 175°E longitude . Deep-Sea Res . 47 , 1937 – 1960 .

[CIT0013] Gupta , L. P. and Kawahata , H . 2002. Impact of ENSO vari-ability on the flux and composition of sinking POM in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean: Amino acids and hex-osamines. Deep-Sea Res. 11 49, 2769 – 2782.

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[CIT0015] Handa , N. and Tominaga , H . 1969 . A detailed analysis of carbohydrates in marine particulate matter . Marine Biol . 2 , 228 – 235 .

[CIT0016] Hashimoto , S. , Maita , Y. , Yanada , M. and Takahashi , K . 1998 . Annual and seasonal variations of amino acid and hex-osamine fluxes in the deep Bering Sea and the deep central Subarctic Pacific . Deep-Sea Res . 45 , 1029 – 1051 .

[CIT0017] Ittekkot , V . 1993 . The abiotically driven biological pump in the ocean and short-term fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 contents . Global Planet. Change 8 , 17 – 25 .

[CIT0018] Ittekkot , V. , Deuser , W. G. and Degens , E. T . 1984a . Sea-sonality in the fluxes of sugars, amino acids, and amino sugars to the deep ocean: Sargasso Sea . Deep Sea Res . 31 , 1057 – 1069 .

[CIT0019] Ittekkot , V. , Degens , E. T. and Honjo , S . 1984b . Seasonality in the fluxes of sugars, amino acids, and amino sugars to the deep ocean: Panama Basin . Deep Sea Res . 31 , 1071 – 1083 .

[CIT0020] Izdar , E. , Konuk , T. , Ittekkot , V. , Kempe , S. and Degens , E. T . 1987 . The relation between environmental events and particle flux in the Black Sea. In: Particle flux in the ocean (eds. E. T. Degens, E. Izdar and S. Honjo), Mitt. Geol. Palaeont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, SCOPE/UNEP Sonderbd ., 62 , 1 – 18 .

[CIT0021] Jennerjahn , T. C. and Ittekkot , V . 1997 . Organic matter in sediments in the mangrove areas and adjacent continen-tal margins of Brazil: I. Amino acids and hexosamines . Oceanol. Acta 20 , 359 – 369 .

[CIT0022] Jennerjahn , T. C. , Ittekkot , V. , Carvalho , C. E. V. , Ovalle , A. R. C. , Rezende , C. E. and Erlenkeuser , H . 1999 . Tem-poral variability of amino acid, hexosamine, and carbo-hydrate fluxes on the eastern Brazilian continental margin related to discharge of the São Francisco River, Brazil . Geo-Marine Lett . 19 , 202 – 208 .

[CIT0023] Kandler , O . 1979. Zellwandstrulcturen bei Methan-Balcterian. Naturwissenschaften 66, 95 – 105.

[CIT0024] Kawahata , H. , Suzuki , A. and Ohta , H . 1998 . Sinking parti-cles between the Equatorial and Subarctic regions (0°N-46°N) in the central Pacific . Geochem. J . 32 , 125 – 133 .

[CIT0025] Kawahata , H. , Suzuki , A. and Ohta , H . 2000a . Export fluxes in the Western Pacific Warm Pool . Deep-Sea Res . 47 , 2061 – 2091 .

[CIT0026] Kawahata , H. , Okamoto , T. , Matsumoto , E. and Ujiie , H . 2000b . Fluctuations of eolian flux and ocean productivity in the mid-latitude north Pacific during the last 200 kyr . Q. Sci. Rev . 19 , 1279 – 1291 .

[CIT0027] Kawahata , H. and Ohshima , H . 2002 . Small latitudinal shift in the Kuroshio Extension during the glacial times evidenced by pollen transportation . Q. Sci. Rev . 21 , 1705 – 1717 .

[CIT0028] Kennish , M. J . 1994. Practical handbook of marine science. 2nd Edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton. 566 pp.

[CIT0029] Lee , C. and Cronin , C . 1982 . The vertical flux of particulate organic nitrogen in the sea: decomposition of amino acids in the Peru upwelling area and the equatorial Atlantic . J. Marine Res . 40 , 227 – 251 .

[CIT0030] Lee , C. and Cronin , C . 1984 . Particulate amino acids in the sea: Effects of primary productivity and biological decom-position . J. Marine Res . 42 , 1075 – 1097 .

[CIT0031] Lee , C. , Wakeham , S. G. and Hedges , J. 1.2000. Composition and flux of particulate amino acids and chloropigments in equatorial Pacific seawater and sediments. Deep-Sea Res. 47, 1535 – 1568.

[CIT0032] Lehninger , A. L . 1982 . Principles of biochemistry . Worth Publishers , New York , 1011 pp .

[CIT0033] Mackey , D. J. , Parslow , J. , Griffiths , E B. , Higgins , H. W. and Tilbrook , B . 1997 . Phytoplanlcton productivity and the carbon cycle in the western Equatorial Pacific under El Nino and non-El Niiio conditions . Geophys. Res. Lett . 24 , 1319 – 1322 .

[CIT0034] Mayzaud , P. and Martin , J.-L. M . 1975 . Some aspects of the biochemical and mineral composition of marine plankton . J. Exp. Marine Biol . 17 , 297 – 310 .

[CIT0035] McCarthy , M. , Hedges , J. and Benner , R . 1998 . Major bac-terial contribution to marine dissolved organic nitrogen . Science 281 , 231 – 234 .

[CIT0036] Muller , P. J. , Suess , E. and Ungerer C. A . 1986 . Amino acids and amino sugars of surface particulate and sediment trap material from waters of the Scotia Sea . Deep Sea Res . 33 , 819 – 838 .

[CIT0037] Nozalci , Y. and Tsunogai , S . 1973 . Lead-210 in the North Pacific and the transport of terrestrial material through the atmosphere . Earth Planet. Sci. Lett . 20 , 88 – 92 .

[CIT0038] Peinert , R. , von Bodungen, B. and Smetacek, V. S. 1989. Food web structure and loss rate. In: Productivity of the oceans: present and past (eds. W. H. Berger, V. S. Smetacek and G. Wefer), Dahlem Konferezen, John Wiley and Sons, 35 – 48

[CIT0039] Qiu , B. and Joyce , T. M . 1992 . Interannual variability in the midlatitude and low-latitude western North Pacific . J. Phys. Oceanogr . 22 , 1062 – 1079 .

[CIT0040] Rivkin , R. B. and Legendre , L . 2001 . Biogenic carbon cy-cling in the upper ocean: Effects of microbial respiration . Science 291 , 2398 – 2400 .

[CIT0041] Sabine , C. L. , Wallace , D. W. R. and Millero , F. J . 1997 . Survey of CO2 in the oceans reveals clues about global carbon cycle . EOS 78 , 49 & 54 .

[CIT0042] Sancetta , C . 1992 . Primary production in the glacial North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans . Nature 360 , 249 – 251 .

[CIT0043] Sarmiento , J. L. and Quere , C. L . 1996 . Oceanic carbon diox-ide uptake in a model of century-scale global warming . Science 274 , 1346 – 1350 .

[CIT0044] Sarmiento , J. L. , Hughes , T. M. C. , Stouffer , R. J. and Manabe , S . 1998 . Simulated response of the ocean car-bon cycle to anthropogenic climate warming . Nature 393 , 245 – 249 .

[CIT0045] Scharek , R. , Tupas , L. M. and Karl , D. M. 1999. Diatom fluxes to the deep sea in the oligotrophic North Pacific gyre at Station ALOHA. Marine EcoL Pmg. Ser. 182 , 55 – 67. Smetacek, V. 1998. Diatoms and the silicate factor. Nature 391, 224 – 225.

[CIT0046] Strahlendorff , K . 1988. Organisch-geochemische Unter-suchungen an Schwebstoffen der Nordsee. Master The-sis, Geological Paleontological Institute, University of Hamburg, 74 pp.

[CIT0047] Suthhof , A. , Jennerjahn , T. C. , Schafer , P. and Ittekkot , V . 2000. Nature of organic matter in surface sediments from the Pakistan continental margin and the deep Arabian Sea: amino acids. Deep-Sea Res. 11 47, 329 – 351.

[CIT0048] Takahashi K. 1998. The Bering and Okhotsk Seas: modern and past paleoceanographic changes and gateway impact. J. Asian Earth Sci. 16, 49 – 58.

[CIT0049] Trenberth , K. E . 1997 . The use and abuse of climate models . Nature 386 , 131 – 133 .

[CIT0050] Wakeham , S. G. , Lee , C. , Hedges , J. I. , Hernes , P. J. and Peterson , M. L. 1997. Molecular indicators of diagenetic status in marine organic matter. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 61, 5363 – 5369.

[CIT0051] Walsh , I. , Dymond , J. and Collier , R. 1988. Rates of recycling of biogenic components of settling particles in the ocean derived from sediment trap experiments. Deep-Sea Res. 35, 43 – 58.

[CIT0052] Windom , H. L . 1975 . Eolian contributions to marine sedi-ments . J. Sed. Petrol . 45 , 520 – 529 .

[CIT0053] Wolla , M. D. , Lau , P. Y. , Morgan , S. L. , Fox , A. L. and Brown , A. 1984. Capillary gas chromatography - mass spectrom-etry of carbohydrate components of Legionelle and other bacteria. J. Chromatogr. 288, 399 – 413.

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