Planktonic processes contribute significantly to the organic carbon budget of a coastal fish-culturing area

Abstract

We assessed the role of planktonic processes, in comparison to allochthonous input from fish cages and sedimentary loss, in the organic carbon (OC) budget of the water column in a semi-enclosed fish-culturing area (culturing red sea bream Pagrus major and yellow tail Seriola quinqueradiata). The sedimentation rate of particulate organic carbon (POC) at the fish-cage station was an average of 1.5 times that at non-cage stations. There was no significant difference in photosynthesis or respiration rates between fish-cage and non-cage stations. Annual allochthonous OC input in the form of leftover feed and fish feces was estimated to be 5 or 10 times that of autochthonous OC input by planktonic photosynthesis. In contrast, POC derived from phytoplankton accounted for a significant part (8 to 61%) of total POC sedimentation. As to sinks of OC in the water column, annual planktonic respiration was twice as high as sedimentary loss at the fish-cage station. The plankton community tended to act as a source of OC in spring and summer and as an OC sink in fall and winter. The present study shows that a significant part of allochthonous and autochthonous OC input is respired by plankton and that the remaining OC input is deposited on the seafloor of fish-culturing areas.