We investigated basin‐wide distributions of total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and associated biogeochemical parameters in the euphotic zone (EZ) of the subtropical North and South Pacific Ocean. TPP is primarily composed of living microorganisms, and its distribution is likely controlled by nitrogen (N) supply in typical N‐limited Pacific waters as well as phosphorus (P) supply in P‐limited western North Pacific. TPP concentrations showed a vertically uniform distribution (approximately 15 nM) within the EZ at most stations, but at several northern North Pacific stations, TPP peaks (>20 nM) were observed in the lower EZ where nitrate and nitrite concentrations were high. Relationships between TPP and biogeochemical parameters indicate that a possible factor controlling TPP in the upper EZ was dinitrogen fixation and that in the lower EZ was shoaling of the nitracline. Geographical distribution of TPP was relatively uniform compared to that of phosphate, which varied from <10 nM in the western North Pacific to >100 nM in the eastern North and South Pacific. The western North Pacific was a domain characterized by lower dissolved organic P (DOP) concentrations, higher alkaline phosphatase activities, and higher particulate polyphosphate (PpolyP):TPP ratios compared to other domains. These characteristics indicated that active DOP utilization and PpolyP accumulation could play important roles in the maintenance of TPP stocks as alternatives to phosphate utilization in this distinctive domain. Our results demonstrated that TPP distributions were vertically and geographically uniform across the subtropical Pacific Ocean, concealing that TPP stocks were likely underpinned by a range of nutrient supply mechanisms.

中文翻译：

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整个亚营养化亚热带太平洋中微粒磷分布的生物地球化学控制

我们调查了亚热带北太平洋和南太平洋的富营养区（EZ）的全颗粒物总磷（TPP）和相关生物地球化学参数在全盆地的分布。TPP主要由活微生物组成，其分布很可能受典型的北限太平洋水域中氮（N）的供应以及北太平洋西部限磷中磷（P）的供应的控制。在大多数站点中，TPP浓度在EZ中显示出垂直均匀分布（约15 nM），但是在北太平洋北部的几个站点中，在硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐浓度较高的较低EZ中观察到TPP峰（> 20 nM）。TPP与生物地球化学参数之间的关系表明，控制上层TP的可能因素是上氮区中的固氮作用，而下层EZ中的硝化碱是暗藏的原因。与磷酸盐相比，TPP的地理分布相对均匀，磷酸盐的分布范围从北太平洋西部的<10 nM到北太平洋东部和南太平洋的> 100 nM。与其他区域相比，北太平洋西部的一个区域具有较低的溶解有机P（DOP）浓度，较高的碱性磷酸酶活性和较高的颗粒多磷酸盐（PpolyP）：TPP比值。这些特征表明，活跃的DOP利用率和PpolyP积累可能在维持TPP储备方面发挥重要作用，作为该独特领域中磷酸盐利用的替代方法。