BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF THE ANAXIMENES SEAMOUNT (E.MEDITERRANEAN): MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR A “SEAMOUNT EFFECT” IN PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER QUALITY? Kostas Kiriakoulakis 1,2 and George Wolff 2 1 Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, [email protected]2 University of Liverpool, School of Environmental Sciences,, [email protected]
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Biogeochemistry of the Anaximenes Seamount (E. Mediterranean): molecular evidence for a "Seamount effect" in particulate organic matter quality? Kiriakoulakis, K.
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BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF THE ANAXIMENES SEAMOUNT (E.MEDITERRANEAN): MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR A
“SEAMOUNT EFFECT” IN PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER QUALITY?
Kostas Kiriakoulakis1,2 and George Wolff2
1 Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, [email protected]
2 University of Liverpool, School of Environmental Sciences,, [email protected]
Global estimates of seamounts
33452 seamounts (4.7%) and 138412 knolls (16.3%) globally (Yesson et al. 2011)
(Yesson et al. 2011)
seamounts
knolls
Observations and theories
• Less than 300 have been studied in some degree
• “Hotspots” of marine life and diversity
– Large pelagic (fish stocks and zooplankton) and benthic biomass (e.g. cold water corals etc.)
– ‘Island’ theory: Endemism – not much evidence
– ‘Oasis’ theory: productive in an otherwise nutrient depleted ocean – open question
Complex physics
Upwelling ⇒
High primary production
Closed circulation :Taylor columns
(e.g. White et al. 2007)
• Particle retention?
• Zooplankton migration blockage?
Effect on carbon cycling?
DOC
Mather 2009
Downwelling of DOC above topography
36°N
CD1712005
Is there a “Seamount effect” in the ocean?
• Enhanced local primary/secondary productivity, trapping of advected particles?
• Temporal variability?
• Primary production is seasonal
• Taylor columns are (thought to be) transient features
• Nutritional status of the ecosystems?
• Quality of organic matter
• Can be assessed by molecular studies (e.g. lipid biomarkers)
PUFAs: markers of POM quality
PUFAs: Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids
• Essential fatty acids
• Very labile (1/2 life ~ < 1 week) and energy rich