Problem III of the EqPac Science Plan states that new production is less than expected in the central equatorial Pacific for the levels of primary production and nutrient concentrations observed. The explanation may lie in the rates and mechanisms of particle cycling. The P.I,'s propose to participate in the survey cruises in the central equatorial Pacific at 140oW, to deploy an array of floating sediment traps at each station and to measure the fluxes of: 1. total mass; 2. particulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (POC, PN, PP); 3. chlorophyll and phaeopigments; 4. particle reactive radiotracers: 234Th, 210Pb and 210Po; 5. major phase elements: Al, Sr, Ca, Mg, and Sr; 6. stable tracer elements: Fe, Mn, Pb, Ba, Cd, Cu, and Zn. The P.I.'s will also collect and analyze dissolved and particulate water column samples for 234Th, 210Pb and 210Po.
