Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide, micronutrients, chlorophyll, primary production and light were measured at a series of stations in the western Mediterranean Sea. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations greater than 100 nmol 1
−1 were found in this region. There was a significant relationship between hydrogen peroxide and primary production rates near the surface where the light intensity was high. This link between hydrogen peroxide and biological activity may have resulted from photochemically reactive organic compounds that were excreted during photosynthesis or from the direct biological production of hydrogen peroxide. Elevated concentrations were not found in the deep chlorophyll maximum however, which indicates that high light intensities are necessary for biogenic hydrogen peroxide production in this area. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations decreased much more slowly with depth than did light. The decoupling of light and hydrogen peroxide must have been due to a combination of a slow decay rate and rapid vertical transport. However, simple calculations indicate that eddy diffusion alone could not have transported enough hydrogen peroxide to produce the effects that were seen. Large anomalies in the concentration profiles that were detected in frontal regions indicate that hydrogen peroxide can be a useful tracer of vertical transport in the upper ocean. The size of the anomalies appears to be coupled to the salinity gradient across the front, which drives the frontal circulation.