Biological Oxygen Production in the Pacific Subtropical Gyres using Glider Surveys

通过卫星颜色模型和全球环流模型对海洋生物泵的估计进行验证和校准，对海洋光区有机碳输出的实验评估是必不可少的。对上层海洋氧质量平衡的研究表明，通过确定有时间序列测量的地点的年净生物氧产量，可以准确地估计从发光带输出的碳。目前，人们对北大西洋和太平洋副热带固氮作用重要性的认识日益增强，这导致人们认为，这些地区的海洋生产力，或许还有有机碳的输出，受到风吹到表层水域的铁通量的限制。人们可以评估这一过程在亚热带海洋中的重要性，而不需要铁施肥实验的费用，方法是在接受不同大气铁负荷的地点确定净生物氧产量。在这方面进行对比的理想地点是北太平洋和南太平洋；然而，由于太平洋赤道以南太遥远，不可能进行时间序列研究。滑翔机技术的出现和我们量化亚热带海洋空气-水-气体交换能力的发展，使得现在可以通过远程测量海洋上层的T、S和O2浓度来研究氧气质量平衡。在这项研究中，华盛顿大学的研究人员将开发这项新技术来确定北太平洋和南太平洋的净生物氧气生产量。亚热带海洋是对上层海洋热、淡水和氧气预算进行滑翔机研究的理想场所，因为其表面洋流相对稳定和缓慢。具体来说，这项研究的目标是证明滑翔机在确定开放海洋中准确和精确的T、S和O2浓度方面的效用，由此可以计算预算，并对比南北太平洋亚热带环流的净生物氧气产量。研究小组将在夏威夷海洋时间序列（HOT）上对上层海洋进行滑翔机调查。该团队将根据时间序列科学家每月的测量结果校准滑翔机上的仪器，以便验证准确性并进行调整以改善结果。

ABSTRACTOCE-0223372Experimental evaluations of the organic carbon export from the euphotic zone of the ocean are essential for verifying and calibrating estimates of the ocean's biological pump by both satellite color and Global Circulation Models. Studies of upper ocean oxygen mass balance have shown that carbon export from the euphotic zone can be accurately estimated by determining net annual biological oxygen production at locations where there are time-series measurements. Growing awareness of the present importance of nitrogen fixation in the subtropical North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans has lead to the suggestion that ocean productivity, and perhaps the organic carbon export, in these areas is limited by the wind blown flux of iron to the surface waters. One could evaluate the importance of this process in the subtropical ocean without the expense of an iron fertilization experiment by determining the net biological oxygen production in locations that receive very different atmospheric loading of iron. The ideal locations to contrast in this regard are the North and South Pacific Ocean; however, it has not been possible to carry out a time-series study south of the equator in the Pacific because it is too remote. The advent of glider technology and the evolution of our ability to quantify air-water gas exchange in the subtropical oceans make it now possible to study the oxygen mass balance by remotely measuring the T, S, and O2 concentrations in the upper ocean. In this study, investigators at the University of Washington will develop this new technology to determine the net biological oxygen production in the North and South Pacific. The subtropical oceans are ideal for introducing a glider study of upper ocean heat, fresh water and oxygen budgets because the relatively steady and slow surface currents.Specifically, the goals of this research are to demonstrate the utility of gliders to determine accurate and precise T, S and O2 concentrations in the open ocean from which budgets can be calculated and to contrast the net biological oxygen production in the North and South Pacific subtropical gyres. The research team will carry out glider surveys of the upper ocean at the Hawaii Ocean time series (HOT). The team will calibrate instruments on the glider against monthly measurements by the time-series scientists so that it will be possible to verify accuracies and make adjustments to improve results.