Heterotrophic organisms dominate nitrogen fixation in the South Pacific Gyre.

ABSTRACT: Oceanic subtropical gyres are considered biological deserts because of the extremely low availability of nutrients and thus minimum productivities. The major source of nutrient nitrogen in these ecosystems is N(2)-fixation. The South Pacific Gyre (SPG) is the largest ocean gyre in the world, but measurements of N(2)-fixation therein, or identification of microorganisms involved, are scarce. In the 2006/2007 austral summer, we investigated nitrogen and carbon assimilation at 11 stations throughout the SPG. In the ultra-oligotrophic waters of the SPG, the chlorophyll maxima reached as deep as 200 m. Surface primary production seemed limited by nitrogen, as dissolved inorganic carbon uptake was stimulated upon additions of (15)N-labeled ammonium and leucine in our incubation experiments. N(2)

SUBMITTER: Halm H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3358028 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature