Elucidation of the production and consumption processes of labile dissolved organic phosphorus in the ocean

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24396
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 1101:Environmental analyses and evaluation, environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: Fisheries Research and Education Agency
• Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi Tamaha 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 水研機構(横浜), 研究員 (30845293)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 貧栄養海域 / リン / 溶存有機物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Labile dissolved organic phosphorus (LDOP) is one of the important nutrients for primary production in the oligotrophic ocean. Here we demonstrated the grazing effect of microzooplankton on the production of LDOP for the first time. Because the estimated production rate was sufficient enough to explain the actual fluctuation of LDOP concentration in the field, it was indicated that microzooplankton plays an essential role in the dynamics of LDOP.

Free Research Field

生物海洋学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

海洋における溶存有機物、とりわけLDOPの動態については未だ不明な点が多いことから、その供給プロセスにおける微小動物プランクトンの捕食の重要性を定量的に評価したことで、その起源に迫る新規知見が得られた。一般に「海の砂漠」と称される貧栄養海域ではあるが、その全球的な生物生産の規模は大きく、今回それを支える栄養塩動態の一端が明らかになったことで、将来的に持続可能なよりよい海洋利用へ繋がると期待される。