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Distribution of plankton lipids and their role in the biological transformation of Antarctic primary production
Mayzaud, P.; Errhif, A.; Bedo, A. (1998). Distribution of plankton lipids and their role in the biological transformation of Antarctic primary production. J. Mar. Syst. 17(1-4): 391-410. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0924-7963(98)00051-7
In: Journal of Marine Systems. Elsevier: Tokyo; Oxford; New York; Amsterdam. ISSN 0924-7963; e-ISSN 1879-1573, more
Also appears in:
Le Fèvre, J.; Tréguer, P. (Ed.) (1998). Carbon Fluxes and Dynamic Processes in the Southern Ocean: Present and Past. Selected papers from the International JGOFS Symposium, Brest, France, 28-31 August 1995. Journal of Marine Systems, 17(1-4). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 1-619 pp., more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Acids > Organic compounds > Organic acids > Fatty acids > Polyunsaturated fatty acids
    Aquatic communities > Plankton > Phytoplankton
    Aquatic communities > Plankton > Zooplankton
    Behaviour > Feeding behaviour > Grazing
    Biological production > Primary production
    Chemical compounds > Organic compounds > Lipids
    Composition > Biochemical composition
    Cycles > Chemical cycles > Geochemical cycle > Biogeochemical cycle
    Fauna > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic animals > Shellfish > Marine organisms > Marine crustaceans
    Food webs
    Nutrition > Animal nutrition
    Organic matter > Carbon > Organic carbon
    Particulate flux
    Particulates > Suspended particulate matter
    Population characteristics > Population structure
    Population characteristics > Population structure > Size distribution
    Calanus propinquus Brady, 1883 [WoRMS]; Euphausia superba Dana, 1850 [WoRMS]; Themisto gaudichaudi Guérin, 1825 [WoRMS]; Thysanoessa macrura G.O. Sars, 1883 [WoRMS]
    PSE, Antarctic Ocean [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Mayzaud, P., more
  • Errhif, A.
  • Bedo, A.

Abstract
    Production and transfer of lipid through the Antarctic food web is reviewed for the Indian Ocean sector. The slow settling fine particles showed a marked inter-annual variability in biochemical composition with an increase in lipid content as % organic carbon. Comparison of the fatty acid spectra of different size categories of organic particles indicated that fine particles are dominated by saturated, monoenoic and branched acids, while larger material (50–100 µm, 200–500 µm net collected fractions) displayed a signature dominated by polyunsaturated acids. Zooplankton taxa displayed different strategies of lipid accumulation. Lipid content was highest in Thysanoessa macrura females and copepodite stages of Calanus propinquus. Relatively low levels were recorded for juveniles and male stages of euphausiids. Reserve lipids varied with species: C. propinquus showed equal content of triglycerides and wax esters, T. macrura showed a dominance of wax esters and Euphausia superba and Themisto gaudichaudii accumulated only triglycerides. Computed as carbon equivalent and integrated over 200 m, lipids in slow settling particles represented 22.6% of annual primary production. Similar computation with mesozooplankton and E. superba data on biomass and population structure from several summer cruises indicated values of carbon accumulation as lipid reserves and egg production of 4.2 and 0.1% of annual primary production for copepods and 4.4 and 3.8% for E. superba. When all trophic levels are considered, the overall mean exceeded 30% of annual primary production.

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