Dissolution-affected coccolithophore fluxes in the central Greenland Sea (1994/1995)

Coccolithophore fluxes were investigated by sediment trap studies in the central Greenland Sea from 1994 to 1995. The trap mooring comprised traps at 300, 900, and 2100 m water depths with 19 trapping intervals (10–28 days). This site was characterised by a very strong seasonality in coccolithophore fluxes. The seasonal flux signal was most pronounced in the shallow trap with high fluxes only during two trapping intervals in September and early October 1994 (max. coccolithophore flux 12×106 Ind m−2 d−1). No or only very low fluxes were recorded during most of the investigated time interval. In the deeper traps high fluxes occurred over a longer time interval than in the upper traps from late August to November 1994. The dominant species (>90%) was Coccolithus pelagicus f. pelagicus. Only very few other species including Emiliania huxleyi (<7%) occasionally occurred. The coccolithophore settling assemblages of the investigated traps were strongly influenced by dissolution. The dissolution impact probably diminished diversity and sharpened seasonality in fluxes. Dissolution was prominent in near-surface waters of the East Greenland Current but not in bottom waters. However, maximum fluxes were of the same magnitude as previously reported fluxes from the nearby Norwegian Sea and higher than in the southern Greenland Sea. In contrast to the other sites, resuspension seemed to be of minor importance. Total annual coccolithophore fluxes differed significantly in the Norwegian–Greenland Seas reflecting the local oceanographic signature of coccolithophore production.