An Investigation of Mechanisms for the Formation of Methane in the Upper Ocean

本研究将探讨上层水柱中甲烷的形成机理。上层海洋的溶解甲烷剖面通常以地下最大值为特征。这个最大值通常与斜斜相吻合，那里的甲烷浓度相对于大气平衡来说是过饱和的。甲烷峰与ATP、叶绿素、浮游动物和颗粒浓度等生物和化学参数的峰相关。本研究将专门研究浮游动物摄食在甲烷产生中的作用。浮游动物将用无线电标记的藻类喂养，并测量标记的甲烷产量。还将开发方法来喂养浮游动物个别标记的化合物，这些化合物可能是甲烷的特定前体。这些研究将有助于更好地了解含氧水柱中的厌氧过程，提供浮游动物肠道消化过程的信息，并增加我们对海水中甲胺和其他C-1化合物循环的了解。

This research will investigate the mechanisms of methane formation in the upper water column. Dissolved methane profiles in the upper ocean are frequently characterized by a subsurface maximum. This maximum commonly coincides with the pycnocline and methane concentrations there are supersaturated with respect to atmospheric equilibrium. Methane peaks have been correlated with peaks in number of biological and chemical parameters including ATP, chlorophyll, zooplankton and particle concentrations. This study will specifically investigate the role of zooplankton feeding in the production of methane. Zooplankton will be fed with radio labelled algae and measure labelled methane production. Methods will also be developed to feed zooplankton individual labeled compounds which may be specific precursors of methane. The studies will lead to a better understanding of anaerobic processes in the oxic water column, provide information on digestive processes in zooplankton guts, and increase our knowledge of the cycling of methylamines and other C-1 compounds in seawater.