Source code for Investigating particle size-flux relationships and the biological pump across a range of plankton ecosystem states from coastal to oligotrophic
Manuscript by: Christian K. Fender, Thomas B. Kelly, Lionel Guidi, Mark D. Ohman, Matthew C. Smith, and Michael R. Stukel
Code by: Thomas B. Kelly and Christian K. Fender (FSU)
Manuscript submitted to Frontiers in Marine Science (March 2019)
Sinking particles transport organic carbon produced in the surface ocean to the ocean interior, leading to net storage of atmospheric CO2 in the deep ocean. The rapid growth of in situ imaging technology has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of particle flux attenuation in the ocean; however, estimating particle flux from particle size and abundance (measured directly by in situ cameras) is challenging. Sinking rates are dependent on several factors, including particle excess density and porosity, which vary based on particle origin and type. Additionally, particle characteristics are transformed while sinking. We compare optically-measured particle size spectra profiles (Underwater Vision Profiler 5, UVP) with contemporaneous measurements of particle flux made using sediment traps and