Assessing marine biogenic matter Production, Export and Remineralization: from the surface to the dark Ocean

The APERO project proposes a mechanistic approach to the biological carbon pump (export of surface biogenic carbon production and fate in the water column -200/2000m). APERO aims to reduce the gap between the amount of photosynthetically produced organic carbon transferred to the deep ocean and the metabolic demand for carbon in the water column. The project is built around a campaign with two oceanographic vessels in the Northeast Atlantic, at the level of the British permanent station PAP (58N, 16W). It lasted 40 days and took place in June and July of 2023, at the time of maximum particulate carbon export to the deep ocean. The three major contributions of APERO are the study of the role of small-scale dynamics (~1-10km) on the water column using autonomous platforms, imagery and innovative instrumentation, the construction of a comprehensive database based on the simultaneous multidisciplinary observation of all processes regulating the attenuation of carbon flux in the water column and the quantification of the fluxes associated with these processes. Relying on a significant international collaboration with the JETZON consortium (https://www.jetzon.org/) and an ambitious observation strategy, complemented by molecular biology and innovative modeling approaches, this study will contribute to a significant reduction of uncertainties on carbon storage by the ocean.