Massive Southern Ocean phytoplankton bloom fed by iron of possible hydrothermal origin

Primary productivity in the Southern Ocean plays an important role in the drawdown of atmospheric CO2, but phytoplankton growth is limited by iron. Here the authors show that iron from hydrothermal vents fuels massive phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean that have recurred in the same location...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature Communications
Main Authors: Casey M. S. Schine, Anne-Carlijn Alderkamp, Gert van Dijken, Loes J. A. Gerringa, Sara Sergi, Patrick Laan, Hans van Haren, Willem H. van de Poll, Kevin R. Arrigo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2021
Subjects:
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21339-5
https://doaj.org/article/4e58ff79505549d49509a1447e502ec2
Description
Summary:Primary productivity in the Southern Ocean plays an important role in the drawdown of atmospheric CO2, but phytoplankton growth is limited by iron. Here the authors show that iron from hydrothermal vents fuels massive phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean that have recurred in the same location for decades.