Components of the carbon cycle in the Russian Arctic Seas: Primary production and flux of C-org from the photic layer

On the basis of the analysis of satellite and field data collected in the R ussian Arctic Seas, maps of the distribution of primary production for diff erent months of the vegetation period were compiled. These maps were used t o estimate the annual primary production values: 55 x 10(6) t C-org in the Barents Sea; about 20 x 10(6) t C-org in the Kara Sea; 10-15 x 10(6) t C-or g in the Laptev Sea; the same in the East Siberian Sea; 42 x 10(6) t C-org in the Chukchi Sea. In the central and eastern parts of the Barents Sea dur ing the vegetation period, the values of primary production decreased by a factor of >5 (from >500 to <100 mg C/m(2) per day). By reviewing the result s of the studies with sediment traps, the vertical fluxes of organic carbon in different regions of the Arctic Basin were estimated. Significant tempo ral variability of C-org fluxes with maxima during phytoplankton blooms (by 830 mg C/m(2) per day) was noted. Typical summer fluxes of C-org are 10-40 mg C/m(2) per day in the southern part of the Barents Sea, 1-10 mg C/m(2) per day in the northern part of the Barents Sea and in the Kara Sea, and up to 370 mg C/m(2) per day in the zone of the marginal filters of the Ob and Yenisey rivers.