Benthic Microalgal Production and Nutrient Dynamics on the Georgia Continental Shelf

最近的证据表明，在一年的大部分时间里，SAB大陆架上底栖微生物群的面积生物量和生产力可以与浮游植物相当或超过浮游植物。在该项目中，埃克曼博士及其合作者将评估底栖生物初级生产的重要性及其在南大西洋大陆架沉积物生物地球化学中的作用。了解底栖生物初级生产的规模、时空变化以及影响底栖生物初级生产的因素是很重要的，因为目前的大陆架输出、生物地球化学循环和对全球变化的响应模型没有包括底栖生物初级生产的有机质贡献。本研究的主要目的是：1)量化南洋冰架底栖微植物生物量和生产力的空间和季节变化；2)测量沉积物上覆水柱浮游植物生物量和初级产量，从而确定海底微生物群在大陆架上的相对作用；3)研究底栖生物初级生产对陆架沉积物与水柱间溶质交换的影响；4)确定和量化可能影响底栖微藻生物量、初级生产和沉积物与水柱之间溶质通量的陆架环境的物理、生物和化学性质。

9416064 Eckman Recent evidence suggests that the areal biomass and productivity of benthic microflora on the SAB shelf can be comparable to, or exceed, that of phytoplankton through much of the year. in the project Dr. Eckman and collaborators will assess the importance of benthic primary production and its role in the biogeochemistry of the South Atlantic Bight shelf sediments. It is important to understand the magnitude of benthic primary production, its variability in space and time, and factors affecting benthic primary production, because present models of continental shelf export, biogeochemical cycles, and response to global change do not include a contribution of organic matter from benthic primary production. The principal objectives of the proposed study are: 1) to quantify the spatial and seasonal variability of benthic microfloral biomass and productivity on the SAB shelf; 2) to measure phytoplankton biomass and primary production in the water column overlying the sediments so that the relative role of seafloor microflora on the continental shelf any be determined; 3) to examine the impact of benthic primary production on solute exchanges between the sediments and the water column of the shelf; and 4) to identify and quantify the physical, biological and chemical properties of the shelf environment that may influence benthic microalgal biomass, primary production, and solute fluxes between the sediments and the water column.