Fig. 4: Global pelagic carbon footprint from Antarctic krill faecal pellets.
From: Antarctic krill sequester similar amounts of carbon to key coastal blue carbon habitats
Equilibrium dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations (gC m−2) from the remineralisation (attenuation) of Antarctic krill faecal pellets with depth, assuming a remineralisation coefficient of b = − 0.30. The highest water-column concentrations exist in the Atlantic Southern Ocean, where krill pellet fluxes are highest (Figs. 1, 2). This map does not include the remaining pellets that escape remineralisation and fuel Antarctic communities on the seafloor.
