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Quantifying the Ocean's Biological Pump and Its Carbon Cycle Impacts on Global Scales
David A Siegel1, Timothy DeVries1, Ivona Cetinić2,3
1Earth Research Institute and Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA;
Annual Review of Marine Science
|September 7, 2022
Summary
The ocean
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Marine Biology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- The ocean's biological pump transfers organic matter from surface to deep waters.
- This process sequesters atmospheric carbon dioxide, influencing climate.
- Three main pathways (gravitational, migrant, mixing) drive this export.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of the ocean's biological pump.
- To assess progress in quantifying carbon export and sequestration.
- To propose a framework for a global carbon accounting of the biological pump.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on the biological pump.
- Analysis of different carbon export pathways.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on carbon sequestration mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made in understanding the biological pump.
- Quantifying the exact impact of each pathway remains challenging.
- A unified approach is needed for global carbon accounting.
Conclusions:
- The biological pump is crucial for oceanic carbon sequestration.
- Further research is needed to integrate different export pathways.
- Developing a global accounting system will improve climate models.
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