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Southeastern U.S.A. continental shelf respiratory rates revisited

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Abstract

Respiratory rates on the U. S. southeastern continental shelf have been estimated several times by different investigators, most recently by Jiang et al. (Biogeochemistry 98:101–113, 2010) who report lower mean rates than were found in earlier work and attribute the differences to analytical error in all methods used in earlier studies. The differences are, instead, attributable to the differences in the geographical scope of the studies. The lower estimates of regional organic carbon flux of Jiang et al. (Biogeochemistry 98:101–113, 2010) are a consequence of their extrapolation of data from a small portion of the shelf to the entire South Atlantic Bight. This comment examines the methodologies used as well as the variability of respiratory rates in this region over space and time.

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Acknowledgments

J. E. Sheldon and W. M. Sheldon, Jr. were supported by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research program (National Science Foundation award number 0620959).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-3636, USA

    Joan E. Sheldon & Wade M. Sheldon Jr.

  2. Sigma Space Corporation, Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Office, Code 614.4, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20711, USA

    Peter C. Griffith

  3. Institut de Ciencies del Mar, CSIC, Pg Maritim de la Barcelona 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Peters

  4. Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, 10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA, 31411, USA

    Jackson O. Blanton & Julie Amft

  5. Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-2202, USA

    Lawrence R. Pomeroy

Authors
  1. Joan E. Sheldon
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  2. Peter C. Griffith
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  3. Francesc Peters
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  4. Wade M. Sheldon Jr.
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  5. Jackson O. Blanton
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  6. Julie Amft
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  7. Lawrence R. Pomeroy
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Correspondence to Joan E. Sheldon.

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Sheldon, J.E., Griffith, P.C., Peters, F. et al. Southeastern U.S.A. continental shelf respiratory rates revisited. Biogeochemistry 107, 501–506 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9552-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9552-0

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