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The Redfield ratio [carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P)] of
particle flux to the deep ocean is a key factor in marine
biogeochemicalcycling. Changes in oceanic carbon sequestration have
been linkedto variations in the Redfield ratio on geological time
scales,but this ratio generally is assumed to be constant with time inthe modern ocean. However, deep-water Redfield ratios in the northernhemisphere show evidence for temporal trends over the past fivedecades. The North Atlantic Ocean exhibits a rising N:P ratio,which
may be related to increased deposition of atmospheric nitrousoxides
from anthropogenic N emissions. In the North Pacific Ocean,increasing
C:N and C:P ratios are accompanied by rising remineralizationrates,
which suggests intensified export production. Strongerexport of carbon
in this region may be due to enhanced bioavailabilityof aeolian iron.
These findings imply that the biological partof the marine carbon
cycle currently is not in steady state.
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Post
Office Box 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
mpahlow{at}awi-bremerhaven.de
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
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[DOI: 10.1126/science.290.5491.455] |Full Text »
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