Work

Nutrient Vertical Flux in the Indonesian Seas as Constrained by Non‐Atmospheric Helium‐3

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The Indonesian seas are a renowned global biodiversity hotspot, yet nutrient sources and fluxes (especially the vertical flux) sustaining this richness remain unclear. Here, we used non‐atmospheric helium‐3 (3He) to constrain the vertical diffusion coefficient (Kd) in the Indonesian seas, which ranges from 5.2 × 10−5 to 2.3 × 10−3 m2 s−1 and averages 6.6 × 10−4 m2 s−1, a value notably higher than those found in the open ocean and in most marginal seas. We estimated that 6.9 ± 7.9 mmol m−2 d−1 of nitrate (NO3−) is vertically transported into the surface mixed layer, that is, >90% of the total NO3− required to support a net community production (NCP) of 470 ± 467 mg‐C m−2 d−1. Regions with narrow straits, steep topography and dynamic circulation with strong vertical mixing display high NCP and chlorophyll‐a, suggesting that vertical nutrient transport dominates biological productivity. Findings highlight the importance of vertical mixing in supplying nutrients and maintaining the extraordinary biological productivity and diversity in the Indonesian seas.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2024gl111420

Authors: Tengxiang Xie, Zhimian Cao, Faisal Hamzah, Peter Schlosser, Minhan Dai