Articles | Volume 21, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-3055-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-3055-2025
Research article
 | 
19 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 19 Nov 2025

Contribution of dark inorganic carbon fixation to bacterial carbon demand in the oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Sea

Tom Reich, Natalia Belkin, Guy Sisma-Ventura, Hagar Hauzer, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Ilana Berman-Frank, and Eyal Rahav

Data sets

Primal, chemo and bacterial productivity coupled with inorganic nutrient concentrations from an off shore, outgoing transect cruises. Tom Reich https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.975231

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Short summary
Dark carbon fixation by chemoautotrophs take a vital part in marine primary productivity. Measured rates can be seen all the way down to the dark layers of the ocean and integrated in our study site come close to the magnitude of photosynthesis. It can also explain about ~ 35 % of the missing organic carbon supply needed by deep microbial communities. By using oceanographic observations and analysis this paper highlights the significant of this overlooked parameter.
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