Community composition and photosynthetic physiology of phytoplankton in the western subarctic Pacific near the Kuril Islands with special reference to iron availability.

ABSTRACT: The western subarctic Pacific (WSP) is known as one of the most productive regions among the world's oceans in spring. However, its oceanic waters are also known as a High Nutrient, Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) region during summer due to low iron (Fe) availability in seawater. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated that the distribution of Fe in the WSP is complex and heterogeneous. This study thus investigated the effects of Fe availability on the community composition and photophysiology of surface phytoplankton from coastal to offshore waters in the WSP in the summer of 2014. Although relatively high concentrations (>2 mg m^-3) of chlorophyll (chl) a were found in the Sea of Okhotsk and some coastal waters, low chl a concentrations (<1 mg m^-3) were common

SUBMITTER: Yoshida K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7580765 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature