The distribution and availability of iron in the Antarctic coastal ocean ...
Despite widespread iron (Fe) limitation in the Southern Ocean, Antarctic coastlines are highly productive, supporting biodiverse ecosystems and atmospheric carbon sequestration. Iron is an essential micronutrient for cellular processes such as photosynthesis; therefore, its scarcity in surface water...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | unknown |
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University Of Tasmania
2023
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23246981.v1 https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/The_distribution_and_availability_of_iron_in_the_Antarctic_coastal_ocean/23246981/1 |
| Summary: | Despite widespread iron (Fe) limitation in the Southern Ocean, Antarctic coastlines are highly productive, supporting biodiverse ecosystems and atmospheric carbon sequestration. Iron is an essential micronutrient for cellular processes such as photosynthesis; therefore, its scarcity in surface waters is a key limitation on primary productivity. Seasonally variable sources of Fe to coastal waters include sediment resuspension, basal ice melt, dust deposition and sea-ice melt, as well as upwelling and vertical mixing of offshore deep waters. Early spring phytoplankton blooms rapidly deplete Fe, after which internal Fe recycling processes support productivity into late summer. Bacterial Fe remineralisation and pelagic recycling by marine animals are thought to influence the distribution of recycled Fe during this period. The chemical nature of Fe influences its bioavailability to microbial communities. For example, complexation by ligands increases Fe solubility in surface waters by reducing scavenging onto ... |
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