Characterization of phototrophic pigment composition, metabolic processes and carbon pools in northern chile.

Title:
Characterization of the phototrophic pigment composition,
main metabolic processes and carbon pools occurring in
northern chile.

A fluorescence peak occurring within the oxygen minimum
layer (OML) of the southeastern Pacific Ocean is sometimes
observed. It has been commonly explained as an accumulation
of decaying matter. However, off northern Chile, the peak
can be found at shallow enough depths that photosynthesis
could be taking place. We therefore hypothesized that this
subsurface peak is of phototrophic origin associated with
an active microbial community living under suboxic and low
light conditions. Work was undertaken on the MinOx cruise,
aboard the R/V Vidal Gormaz, off Iquique, March-April 2000,
to address this hypothesis.