Abstract
Diatoms are an important phytoplankton group in this region as they can dominate both the standing stock of phytoplankton and the rate of primary production at times. Unlike other phytoplankton groups, diatoms have an obligate requirement for silicon. Because diatoms can be important to regional primary production, there can be a strong coupling between the regional C and Si cycles. Because of this coupling, measurement of biogenic silica (bSi) production is a useful proxy to deduce the diatom-specific contribution to community rates, as silicoflagellates and radiolarians (which both use Si to build shells) are comparatively minor in biomass and grow slower than diatoms.
Purpose
Rates of biological productivity were determined through a consortia partnership with the Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) and Consortium for Oil Spill Exposure Pathways in Coastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE). The shared goal for each consortium was to understand the spatial and temporal variability in biological productivity rates. This information is critical for providing baseline information to understanding the potential effects of anthropogenic (e.g. oil spill) or natural (e.g. hurricane) disturbances on biological productivity in the Mississippi-Alabama shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
DOI: doi:10.7266/N78050N9
Suggested Citation
Krause, Jeffrey W,; Acton, Sydney. 2017. Biogenic silica standing stock and productivity on the Mississippi-Alabama Shelf in Fall 2015. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N78050N9
Related Publication Citation
Dzwonkowski, B., Greer, A. T., Briseño-Avena, C., Krause, J. W., Soto, I. M., Hernandez, F. J., … Graham, W. M. (2017). Estuarine influence on biogeochemical properties of the Alabama shelf during the fall season. Continental Shelf Research, 140, 96–109. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2017.05.001
Funded by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)
Funding cycle: RFP-IV
Research group: Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)
