Consumption of silicic acid below the euphotic zone by sedimenting diatom blooms in the Barents Sea

Massive sedimentation of spring phytoplankton blooms occurs in the Barents Sea as in many other shelf sea environments. Associated with this sedimentation there is a large decrease in concentration of dissolved shcic acid below the nitracline. This decrease is apparently related to resting spore for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Ecology Progress Series
Main Authors: Rey, Francisco, Skjoldal, Hein Rune
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 1987
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108035
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps036307
Description
Summary:Massive sedimentation of spring phytoplankton blooms occurs in the Barents Sea as in many other shelf sea environments. Associated with this sedimentation there is a large decrease in concentration of dissolved shcic acid below the nitracline. This decrease is apparently related to resting spore formation of the dominant &atom species Chaetoceros socids. The deep shcic acid consumption seems to be a regular and extensive phenomenon which results in a vertical separation of the shcic acid gradient from the nitracline. This d disfavour further growth of diatoms during the summer season due to reduced upward transport of silicic acid by vertical mixing.