Procedures for particulate carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and total mass analyses used in the US-JGOFS Hawaii Ocean Time- Series Program

D. M. Karl, J. E. Dore, D. V. Hebel and C. Winn

Abstract

A deep-water hydrostation has been established near Oahu, Hawaii as one component of the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (U.S.-JGOFS) research program. Since October 1988, oceanographic cruises have been conducted for the purpose of studying the time-varying rates of several biogeochemical processes, including primary production of organic matter and particulate matter export from the euphotic zone. This contribution describes briefly our sampling and analysis protocols with an emphasis on the measurements of the carbon (PC), nitrogen (PN) and phosphorus (PP) concentrations of particulate matter suspended in the water column and the downward vertical flux of PC, PN, PP and total mass (TM) as measured using free-drifting sediment traps.