BIOGEOCHEMICAL INTERACTIONS IN THE EQUATORIAL PACIFIC

During 1992, the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) investigated bi ogeochemical fluxes in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean. The equat orial Pacific is the largest natural source of atmospheric carbon diox ide, but the magnitude of the flux varies interannually with the El Ni no-Southern Oscillation cycle. Sediments beneath the equatorial upwell ing are enriched in organic carbon indicating a strong export flux, bu t contemporary new primary production is lower than expected given the relative concentrations of new nutrients. The multidisciplinary JGOFS research plan was designed to address apparent contradictions in this system, and to assess the. roles of equatorial physical and biologica l processes in regulating the ocean-atmosphere exchange of carbon.