Krill and salp faecal pellets contribute equally to the carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

Krill and salps are important for carbon flux in the Southern Ocean, but the extent of their contribution and the consequences of shifts in dominance from krill to salps remain unclear. We present a direct comparison of the contribution of krill and salp faecal pellets (FP) to vertical carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula using a combination of sediment traps, FP production, carbon content, microbial degradation, and krill and salp abundances. Salps produce 4-fold more FP carbon than krill, but the FP from both species contribute equally to the carbon flux at 300 m, accounting for 75% of total carbon. Krill FP are exported to 72% to 300 m, while 80% of salp FP are retained in the mixed layer due to fragmentation. Thus, declining krill abundances could lead to decreased carbon flux, indicating that the Antarctic Peninsula could become a less efficient carbon sink for anthropogenic CO₂ in future.

Zooplankton impact Southern Ocean carbon cycling. Here, the authors examine carbon export at the Antarctic Peninsula, finding that krill pellets are efficiently exported, while salp pellets are retained and recycled in surface waters.