Di-nitrogen (N2) fixation plays a well-recognized role in the enhancement of primary production andarguably particle export in oligotrophic regions of the subtropical and tropical oceans. However, recentevidence suggests that N2 fixation may also be significant in regions of the surface ocean proximate toor overlying zones of intense subsurface denitrification. In this study, we present results from a seriesof research cruises in the Gulf of California (GoCal) and adjacent waters of the Eastern Tropical NorthPacific (ETNP). Measurements include microscopy, genomic analyses, incubations, stable isotopic measurements,and sediment traps coupled with 238U:234Th disequilibria. Combined, these results suggestthat N2 fixing microorganisms are present and active throughout the region, with larger sized Richeliaand Trichodesmium spp. recorded within the warmer waters at the entrance to and within the GoCal,and smaller, unicellular diazotrophs observed in the cooler waters of the northern ETNP. N2 fixation ratesin the summer varied from 15–70 lmol N m2 d1, with episodic blooms contributing as much as795 lmol N m2 d1. While the estimated contribution of N2 fixation to particle export was highlyvariable, blooms of diatom-Richelia symbioses accounted for as much as 44% of the measured summercarbon flux at 100 m. Alternately, evaluation of the N isotopic composition of sinking material and themagnitude of measured N2 fixation rates indicate negligible to small enhancements of new productionwhen blooms of either colonial Trichodesmium spp. or unicellular diazotrophs were encountered. Consistentwith previous research, we also found that while fluxes of C to sediment traps are similar in winterand summer months, the efficiency of C export (export/surface productivity) in the GoCal region is elevatedduring summer relative to the more productive diatom-dominated winter phase of the seasonalcycle. The episodic and variable nature of N2 fixation recorded in this region make it unlikely that newproduction via diazotrophic activity is solely responsible for the observed patterns of C transport effi-ciency; rather, we hypothesize that eolian inputs and/or efficient transport of picocyanobacterial biomassvia grazing or aggregation may further explain the enhanced export efficiency observed in the GoCalsummer. In sum, diazotrophy typically supports <10%, but as much as 44% of export production. The highvariability of direct measurements of N2 fixation implies that other mechanisms contribute to theseasonal invariance of C flux in this region. If this region is indicative of other oxygen minima zones withactive diazotrophs, our results indicate that export-mediated feedback mechanisms between N2 fixationand denitrification are not as strong as previously hypothesized. 20
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