Particulate barium fluxes and export production in the northwestern Mediterranean

Biogenic barium, mostly in the barite (BaSO4) form, has been proposed as a tracer for export production in the ocean. Here we report on biogenic barium (Baxs) and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes from sediment traps deployed at the DYFAMED site in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Baxs fluxes display average values of 37 ± 45 and 50 ± 58 μg/m2/d at 200 and 1000 m respectively, and are linearly correlated to POC fluxes (mean values of 7.9 ± 9.3 and 6.8 ± 6.8 mg C/m2/d at 200 and 1000 m). Export production estimates, calculated using published Baxs- or POC-based algorithms, all fall below or close to the lower limit of potential export values proposed in the literature. This work clearly demonstrates the usefulness of Baxs as a tracer of oceanic export production in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. However, development of a quantitative export production proxy requires a clear understanding of the underlying cause(s) for the observed spatial variations in the relationship between Baxs and POC fluxes. The present study confirms that the processes leading to barite formation differ between margin and open-ocean sites and probably account for much of the regional variability in the POC/Baxs ratio.