Large episodic pulses of particulate organic carbon (POC) at the deep-sea (~ 4000 m) time-series Sta. M in the Northeast Pacific Ocean have increased in frequency and magnitude over the past 32 years. We inferred the ecological drivers of these events by quantifying the phytoplankton and biomineral composition within particles collected by bottom-moored sediment traps immediately before, during, and after 14 high-flux events. Samples collected during high-flux events contained a significantly different phytoplankton community from other sampling periods. These particles contained relatively fewer intact phytoplankton cells and a sustained contribution from fragmented diatom frustules from species typical in coastal blooms. Biomineral fluxes did not appear to be driving high-flux events. We suggest that most of the observed high-flux events were generated by offshore transport of coastal diatom blooms, but that these particles were also highly transformed by deep-sea pelagic food webs before reaching bathypelagic depths.

中文翻译：

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在向深海深度的周期性通量过程中浮游植物和生物矿物质含量的变化

深海 (~ 4000 m) 时间序列 Sta. 在过去的 32 年里，东北太平洋的 M 在频率和幅度上都有所增加。我们通过量化在 14 次高通量事件之前、期间和之后由底部系泊沉积物捕获器收集的颗粒内的浮游植物和生物矿物成分来推断这些事件的生态驱动因素。在高通量事件期间收集的样本包含与其他采样时期显着不同的浮游植物群落。这些颗粒含有相对较少的完整浮游植物细胞，并且来自沿海水华中典型物种的碎片硅藻壳的持续贡献。生物矿物通量似乎并未推动高通量事件。