Particulate Organic Carbon Deconstructed: Molecular and Chemical Composition of Particulate Organic Carbon in the Ocean

Jenan Kharbush (1) , Hilary Close (2) , Benjamin van Mooy (3) , Carol Arnosti (4) , Rienk Smittenberg (5) , Frédéric A.C. Le Moigne (6) , Gesine Mollenhauer (7, 8) , Barbara Scholz-Böttcher (9) , Igor Obreht (8) , Boris Koch (7) , Kevin Becker (10) , Morten Iversen (7, 8) , Wiebke Mohr (11)

1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences [Ann Arbor]
2 RSMAS - Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
3 WHOI - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
4 MEAS - Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences [NCSU]
5 Department of Geological Sciences [Stockholm]
6 MIO - Institut méditerranéen d'océanologie
7 AWI - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
8 MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences [Bremen]
9 ICBM - Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment
10 GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research [Kiel]
11 Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry

The dynamics of the particulate organic carbon (POC) pool in the ocean are central to the marine carbon cycle. POC is the link between surface primary production, the deep ocean, and sediments. The rate at which POC is degraded in the dark ocean can impact atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Therefore, a central focus of marine organic geochemistry studies is to improve our understanding of POC distribution, composition, and cycling. The last few decades have seen improvements in analytical techniques that have greatly expanded what we can measure, both in terms of organic compound structural diversity and isotopic composition, and complementary molecular omics studies. Here we provide a brief overview of the autochthonous, allochthonous, and anthropogenic components comprising POC in the ocean. In addition, we highlight key needs for future research that will enable us to more effectively connect diverse data sources and link the identity and structural diversity of POC to its sources and transformation processes.

Mots clés: marine particles; water column; phytoplankton; marine microbes; structural analysis; organic matter characterization; biomarkers

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère

Jenan Kharbush, Hilary Close, Benjamin van Mooy, Carol Arnosti, Rienk Smittenberg, et al.. Particulate Organic Carbon Deconstructed: Molecular and Chemical Composition of Particulate Organic Carbon in the Ocean. Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020, 7, ⟨10.3389/fmars.2020.00518⟩. ⟨hal-02960689⟩