Zinc (Zn) is vital to marine organisms. Its active uptake by phytoplankton results in a substantial depletion of dissolved Zn, and Zn bound to particulate organic matter replenishes dissolved Zn in the ocean through remineralization. However, we found that particulate Zn changes from Zn bound to phosphoryls in cells to recalcitrant inorganic pools that include biogenic silica, clays, and iron, manganese, and aluminum oxides in the Southern Ocean water column. The abundances of inorganic pools increase with depth and are the only phases preserved in sediments. Changes in the particulate-Zn speciation influence Zn bioavailability and explain the decoupling of Zn and phosphorus and the correlation of Zn and silicon in the water column. These findings reveal a new dimension to the ocean Zn cycle, implicating an underappreciated role of inorganic Zn particles and their impact on biological productivity.

中文翻译：

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颗粒状锌从生物到岩石的转换影响南大洋的锌循环


锌 (Zn) 对海洋生物至关重要。它被浮游植物主动吸收，导致溶解锌的大量消耗，而与颗粒有机物结合的锌通过再矿化补充了海洋中溶解的锌。然而，我们发现颗粒状锌从与细胞中磷酰基结合的锌转变为顽固的无机池，其中包括南大洋水柱中的生物二氧化硅、粘土以及铁、锰和铝的氧化物。无机池的丰度随着深度的增加而增加，并且是沉积物中唯一保留的相。颗粒锌形态的变化影响锌的生物利用度，并解释了水体中锌和磷的解耦以及锌和硅的相关性。这些发现揭示了海洋锌循环的新维度，表明无机锌颗粒的作用及其对生物生产力的影响未被充分认识。