Biogeosciences, 15, 2669–2689, 2018 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2669-2018 © Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Dynamics and controls of heterotrophic prokaryotic production in the western tropical South Pacific Ocean: links with diazotrophic and photosynthetic activity France Van Wambeke1, Audrey Gimenez1, Solange Duhamel2, Cécile Dupouy1,3, Dominique Lefevre1, Mireille Pujo-Pay4, and Thierry Moutin1 1Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France 2Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Division of Biology and Paleo Environment, Columbia University, P.O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, USA 3Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 98848, Nouméa, New Caledonia 4CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), UMR 7621, Observatoire Océanologique, 66650, Banyuls-sur-mer, France Correspondence: France Van Wambeke (
[email protected]) Received: 22 December 2017 – Discussion started: 10 January 2018 Revised: 4 April 2018 – Accepted: 14 April 2018 – Published: 4 May 2018 Abstract. Heterotrophic prokaryotic production (BP) was zone. However, BP was more significantly correlated with studied in the western tropical South Pacific (WTSP) using PP, but not with N2 fixation rates where DIP was more avail- the leucine technique, revealing spatial and temporal vari- able (TDIP > 100 h), deeper in the Melanesian Archipelago, ability within the region. Integrated over the euphotic zone, or within the entire euphotic zone in the subtropical gyre. BP ranged from 58 to 120 mg C m−2 d−1 within the Melane- The bacterial carbon demand to gross primary production ra- sian Archipelago, and from 31 to 50 mg C m−2 d−1 within tio ranged from 0.75 to 3.1.