Carbon Flow for Plankton Metabolism of Saco do Mamanguá Ría, Bay of Ilha Grande, a Subtropical Coastal Environment in the South Brazil Bight

In the subtropical coastal waters of Saco do Mamanguá Ría, part of Brazil's Bay of Ilha Grande, autotrophic plankton production does not balance the ecosystem’s carbon metabolism. Research reveals a persistent net community production deficit—ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 mg m⁻² d⁻¹—suggesting heterotrophic respiration exceeds primary production. The study proposes that nano-heterotroph grazing on bacteria may offset this imbalance, a finding applicable to broader meso-oligotrophic Brazilian shelf waters. The investigation analyzed photosynthetic carbon fixation and plankton metabolism over time, employing field measurements and ecological modeling to quantify carbon flow dynamics.

Brandini, F., Michelazzo, L. S., Freitas, G. R., Campos, G., Chuqui, M., & Jovane, L. (2019). Carbon Flow for Plankton Metabolism of Saco do Mamanguá Ría, Bay of Ilha Grande, a Subtropical Coastal Environment in the South Brazil Bight. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00584