Dissolved inorganic nutrients including 5 macro nutrients: silicate, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium from water column bottle samples collected during annual cruise along western Antarctic Peninsula, 1991 - 2019.

• Main Authors: LTER, Palmer Station Antarctica, Ducklow, Hugh, Vernet, Maria, Prezelin, Barbara
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Environmental Data Initiative 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/eeb6775043b106808382ca6abc45cfcd; https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-pal.27.7

The inorganic plant macronutrients dissolved phosphate, silicate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium are the major sources of nutrition for phytoplankton growth in seawater (with sunlight and inorganic carbon). Macronutrient distributions reflect the large-scale circulation patterns in the oceans and are useful properties to delineate water masses. Dissolved inorganic nutrients samples are typically collected in every CTD/Rosette cast performed on the annual LTER cruises along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Water samples are analyzed for dissolved nutrients with recognized standard oceanographic protocols for nutrient autoanalyzers (continuous flow analyzers). In Antarctic waters, dissolved inorganic macronutrients are seldom depleted to limiting concentrations except during heavy prolonged phytoplankton blooms. This is due to the fact that phytoplankton growth is more often limited by light or iron, and to the short growing season.