Proceedings of the IGBP Symposium on Global Change, pp 203-219

The Oceanic Carbon Cycle: Primary Production and Carbon Flux in the Oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean

David M. Karl

SOEST, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A.

Detailed scientific studies of the world ocean are essential for a complete understanding of global climate and for documenting global environmental change. Because of its ability to store and transport large amounts of heat and to serve as a potential sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂), the world ocean may play an important role in modulating global climate. Unfortunately, the rates of these fundamental processes are not well constrained. Long-term data records of relevant biogeochemical parameters are essential for documenting ecosystem changes and for differentiating natural ecosystem variability from changes induced by human activities. However, appropriate, contemporaneous time-series data are rare; most studies are based upon retrospective studies (e.g., ice core or sediment core analyses). A major objective in the field of oceanography is to reduce these current levels of uncertainty. Consequently, studies of the world ocean should be of interest to scientists beyond those categorized as "oceanographers."