The significance of water column nitrification in the southeastern
Abstract Nitrate is considered the nutrient that limits new primary production in the southeastern Bering Sea shelf. Nitrate regenerated through biological nitrification has the potential to significantly support primary production as well. Here we use meas-urements of the specific rate of water col...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2008
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.562.2256 http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pubs/fulltext/2008/20080064.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract Nitrate is considered the nutrient that limits new primary production in the southeastern Bering Sea shelf. Nitrate regenerated through biological nitrification has the potential to significantly support primary production as well. Here we use meas-urements of the specific rate of water column nitrification in a I-D ecosystem model to quantify the resupply of nitrate from nitrification in the middle shelf of the southeast-ern Bering Sea. Model sensitivity studies reveal nitrification rate is an important con-trol on the dominant phytoplankton functional type, and the amount of nitrate in sum-mer bottom waters and in the winter water column. Evaluation of nitrification using the model supports the hypothesis that increases in late-summer nitrate concentrations observed in the southeastern Bering Sea bottom waters are due to nitrification. Model results for nitrate replenishment exceed previously estimated rates of 20-30 % based on observations. The results of this study indicate that nitrification, potentially the source of up to- 38 % of the springtime water column nitrate, could support- 24 % of the annual primary production. Key words Arctic, Southeast Bering Sea, water column nitrification. 1 |
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