Dissolved inorganic phosphorus, dissolved iron, and Trichodesmium in the oligotrophic South China Sea

Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations in the oligotrophic surface waters of the South China Sea decrease from ∼20 nM in March 2000 to ∼5 nM in July 2000, in response to seasonal water column stratification. These minimum DIP concentrations are one order of magnitude higher than those i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global biogeochemical cycles 2003-03, Vol.17 (1), p.8-1-8-10
Main Authors: Wu, Jingfeng, Chung, Shi-Wei, Wen, Liang-Saw, Liu, Kon-Kee, Chen, Yuh-ling Lee, Chen, Houng-Yung, Karl, David M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cyanophyta
iron distribution
Marine
nitrogen fixation
nutrient cycles
Oscillatoria
phosphate and nitrogen
South China Sea
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations in the oligotrophic surface waters of the South China Sea decrease from ∼20 nM in March 2000 to ∼5 nM in July 2000, in response to seasonal water column stratification. These minimum DIP concentrations are one order of magnitude higher than those in the P‐limited, iron‐replete stratified surface waters of the western North Atlantic, suggesting that the ecosystem in the South China Sea may be limited by bioavailable nitrogen or some trace nutrient rather than DIP. Nutrient enrichment experiments using either nitrate, phosphate or both indicate that nitrogen limits the net growth of phytoplankton in the South China Sea, at least during March and July 2000. The fixed nitrogen limitation may result from the excess phosphate (N:P
ISSN:0886-6236
1944-9224
DOI:10.1029/2002GB001924