Dominant taxa on individual particles change with temporal changes in sinking flux attenuation; (A) particle flux and mean transfer efficiencies at 100 m (T₁₀₀) as previously presented [33]; T₁₀₀ = fraction of sinking carbon export transferred 100 m below the base of the euphotic zone; (B) temporal shifts in T₁₀₀ are predicted by particle lability (ß = average particle lability (mmol C_POC mmol C_cell⁻¹ day⁻¹) of all particles at formation depth of 100 m) in a mechanistic model of particle decomposition [8]; these modeled average temporal shifts are represented as lines from least to most labile for ß = 50, 100, 200, and 500 mmol C_POC mmol C_cell⁻¹ day⁻¹; bold lines represent the average flux from each simulation (shaded lines represent n = 69 000 particles), and squares represent observed POC fluxes for E1, E2, and E3; (C) POC consumption rate (day⁻¹) on individual particles is also predicted by modeled shifts in POC lability; model average POC consumption rates of individual particles are calculated for six discrete lability classes from 10 to 100 mmol C_POC mmol C_cell⁻¹ day⁻¹; observational data of POC consumption rates of individual particles for each Epoch; (D) ASV richness of the microbial community associated with aggregates and long fecal pellets collected at 95 m was significantly and positively correlated (P <  .01) with flux attenuation slopes for those particle types; flux attenuation slope values were determined and previously reported in Durkin et al. [36]; “E” = Epoch.