title: Limited sinking of Phaeocystis during a 12 days sediment trap study.
abstract: There is a controversy discussion about the contribution of the genus Phaeocystis to the vertical carbon export with evidence for and against sedimentation of Phaeocystis. So far, the presence of Phaeocystis in sinking matter was investigated with methods depending on morphological features (microscopy) and fast degradable substances (biochemical analyses). In this study, we determine the occurrence and abundance of Phaeocystis antarctica in short-term sediment traps and the overlying water column during a 12-day time period in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean with 454-pyrosequencing and microscopy counting. In the sediment trap samples, we only found few sequences belonging to Phaeocystis, which was not reflecting the situation in the water column above. The cell counts showed the same results. We conclude that Phaeocystis cells are not generally transported downwards by active sinking or other sinking processes.
authors.affiliation: Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: MARUM and Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.affiliation: Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klaas
authors.affiliation: Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Metfies
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D048028:DNA, Algal / Q000032:analysis; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D058087:Haptophyta / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D048028:DNA, Algal; D002244:Carbon
keywords: 18S rRNA gene; 454-pyrosequencing; Southern Ocean; microscopy