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Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Authors :
Philip D. Nightingale
Timothy P. Stanton
Andrew J. Watson
Kurt R. Buck
K. A. Van Scoy
Mikel Latasa
Kenneth S. Johnson
John H. Martin
W. Yao
Craig N. Hunter
Zbigniew Kolber
J. Z. Zhang
Suzanne M. Turner
Steve E. Fitzwater
Steven T. Lindley
S. J. Tanner
Francisco P. Chavez
Sallie W. Chisholm
Kenneth H. Coale
Kitack Lee
Angela D. Hatton
Frank J. Millero
Richard M. Greene
Michael Ondrusek
Frank E. Hoge
R. D. Ling
Gernot E. Friederich
A. Anderson
Teresa L. Coley
Cliff S. Law
Jocelyn L. Nowicki
Robert R. Bidigare
M.I. Liddicoat
Virginia A. Elrod
Peter S. Liss
Carole M. Sakamoto
Clare E. Collins
Richard T. Barber
R. M. Gordon
James K. Yungel
Paul G. Falkowski
J. Stockel
Robert N. Swift
Neil Tindale
Source :
Nature. 371:123-129
Publication Year :
1994
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 1994.

Abstract

The idea that iron might limit phytoplankton growth in large regions of the ocean has been tested by enriching an area of 64 km2 in the open equatorial Pacific Ocean with iron. This resulted in a doubling of plant biomass, a threefold increase in chlorophyll and a fourfold increase in plant production. Similar increases were found in a chlorophyll-rich plume down-stream of the Galapagos Islands, which was naturally enriched in iron. These findings indicate that iron limitation can control rates of phytoplankton productivity and biomass in the ocean.

Details

ISSN :
14764687 and 00280836
Volume :
371
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Nature
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........bbe6d7d5c3e747211ba45ffb301c3c20
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/371123a0