A comparative study of the diurnal carbon fixation patterns of nannoplankton and net plankton

Authors:
  • HPHans W. Paerl
    Hans W. Paerl
  • LMLincoln A. Mackenzie
    Lincoln A. Mackenzie
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Abstract
Autoradiographs of nannoplankton show high photosynthetic fixation rates relative to net plankton during early daylight hours. However, net plankton contribute increasingly to community fixation during the afternoon and early evening. During darkness nannoplankton show losses of fixed 14C greatly exceeding those from net plankton. This lack of uniformity in [14C]CO2 fixation and losses will affect the short term daylight 14C measurements routinely used to assess long term trends in eutrophication.