Nitrogen isotope fractionation in a continuous culture system containing phytoplankton and blue mussels.

ABSTRACT: An experiment was conducted to examine the fractionation of nitrogen stable isotopes in a continuous culture system containing field collected estuarine phytoplankton and blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. Nitrate and phosphate were added to culture vessels at concentrations above ambient levels and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) were measured in particulate matter (PM) and blue mussels over the course of the 15-day experiment. The added nutrients resulted in large productivity and chlorophyll increases in the system. Study results indicate that rapid and significant nitrogen isotope fractionation can occur during incorporation by phytoplankton grown under conditions of excess dissolved inorganic nitrogen, as shown by δ¹⁵N values depleted by as much as 9‰ in PM from the hi

SUBMITTER: Pruell RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7036703 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature