Fragmentation of particle aggregates helps regulate carbon sequestration in the ocean Oceans play a critical role in Earth's carbon cycle. Quantifying essential processes in carbon cycling and extending these to future predictions remain great scientific challenges. Nearly 30% of anthropogenic carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere into the ocean, where sempiternal, ubiquitous populations of microscopic particles transport carbon into the isolated deep sea (1). This complex pathway is driven by various biophysical and chemical interactions, including phytoplankton productivity, zooplankton grazing, oceanic mixing and turbulence, advection, and the sinking of particles and aggregates (2) (see the figure). On page 791 of this issue, Briggs et al. (3) quantitatively describe the key role of particle fragmentation in carbon storage by the ocean, potentially accounting for half of the particle flux that fails to sink into the deep ocean.

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海洋碳预算的“突发”新闻

颗粒聚集体的碎裂有助于调节海洋中的碳固存 海洋在地球的碳循环中起着至关重要的作用。量化碳循环中的基本过程并将其扩展到未来的预测仍然是巨大的科学挑战。近 30% 的人为碳从大气中吸收到海洋中，在海洋中，半永久的、无处不在的微观粒子群将碳输送到孤立的深海 (1)。这种复杂的途径由各种生物物理和化学相互作用驱动，包括浮游植物生产力、浮游动物放牧、海洋混合和湍流、平流以及颗粒和聚集体的下沉 (2)（见图）。在本期第 791 页上，Briggs 等人。(3) 定量描述颗粒破碎在海洋碳储存中的关键作用，