Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean
During the winter of 2006 we measured nifH gene abundances, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates and carbon fixation rates in the eastern tropical and sub-tropical North Atlantic Ocean. The dominant diazotrophic phylotypes were filamentous cyanobacteria, which may include Trichodesmium and Katagnymene, wi...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:306259 2023-05-15T17:30:09+02:00 Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean Rijkenberg, Micha J.A. Langlois, Rebecca J. Mills, Matthew M. Patey, Matthew D. Hill, Polly G. Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun Compton, Tanya J. LaRoche, Julie Achterberg, Eric P. 2011 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/306259/ unknown Rijkenberg, Micha J.A.; Langlois, Rebecca J.; Mills, Matthew M.; Patey, Matthew D. orcid:0000-0001-8677-2818 Hill, Polly G.; Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun; Compton, Tanya J.; LaRoche, Julie; Achterberg, Eric P. 2011 Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean. PLoS ONE, 6 (12). e28989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989 <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989 2023-02-04T19:35:57Z During the winter of 2006 we measured nifH gene abundances, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates and carbon fixation rates in the eastern tropical and sub-tropical North Atlantic Ocean. The dominant diazotrophic phylotypes were filamentous cyanobacteria, which may include Trichodesmium and Katagnymene, with up to 106 L−1 nifH gene copies, unicellular group A cyanobacteria with up to 105 L−1 nifH gene copies and gamma A proteobacteria with up to 104 L−1 nifH gene copies. N2 fixation rates were low and ranged between 0.032–1.28 nmol N L−1 d−1 with a mean of 0.30±0.29 nmol N L−1 d−1 (1σ, n = 65). CO2-fixation rates, representing primary production, appeared to be nitrogen limited as suggested by low dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphate ratios (DIN:DIP) of about 2±3.2 in surface waters. Nevertheless, N2 fixation rates contributed only 0.55±0.87% (range 0.03–5.24%) of the N required for primary production. Boosted regression trees analysis (BRT) showed that the distribution of the gamma A proteobacteria and filamentous cyanobacteria nifH genes was mainly predicted by the distribution of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria. In addition, BRT indicated that multiple a-biotic environmental variables including nutrients DIN, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and DIP, trace metals like dissolved aluminum (DAl), as a proxy of dust inputs, dissolved iron (DFe) and Fe-binding ligands as well as oxygen and temperature influenced N2 fixation rates and the distribution of the dominant diazotrophic phylotypes. Our results suggest that lower predicted oxygen concentrations and higher temperatures due to climate warming may increase N2 fixation rates. However, the balance between a decreased supply of DIP and DFe from deep waters as a result of more pronounced stratification and an enhanced supply of these nutrients with a predicted increase in deposition of Saharan dust may ultimately determine the consequences of climate warming for N2 fixation in the North Atlantic. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive PLoS ONE 6 12 e28989 |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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description |
During the winter of 2006 we measured nifH gene abundances, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates and carbon fixation rates in the eastern tropical and sub-tropical North Atlantic Ocean. The dominant diazotrophic phylotypes were filamentous cyanobacteria, which may include Trichodesmium and Katagnymene, with up to 106 L−1 nifH gene copies, unicellular group A cyanobacteria with up to 105 L−1 nifH gene copies and gamma A proteobacteria with up to 104 L−1 nifH gene copies. N2 fixation rates were low and ranged between 0.032–1.28 nmol N L−1 d−1 with a mean of 0.30±0.29 nmol N L−1 d−1 (1σ, n = 65). CO2-fixation rates, representing primary production, appeared to be nitrogen limited as suggested by low dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphate ratios (DIN:DIP) of about 2±3.2 in surface waters. Nevertheless, N2 fixation rates contributed only 0.55±0.87% (range 0.03–5.24%) of the N required for primary production. Boosted regression trees analysis (BRT) showed that the distribution of the gamma A proteobacteria and filamentous cyanobacteria nifH genes was mainly predicted by the distribution of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria. In addition, BRT indicated that multiple a-biotic environmental variables including nutrients DIN, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and DIP, trace metals like dissolved aluminum (DAl), as a proxy of dust inputs, dissolved iron (DFe) and Fe-binding ligands as well as oxygen and temperature influenced N2 fixation rates and the distribution of the dominant diazotrophic phylotypes. Our results suggest that lower predicted oxygen concentrations and higher temperatures due to climate warming may increase N2 fixation rates. However, the balance between a decreased supply of DIP and DFe from deep waters as a result of more pronounced stratification and an enhanced supply of these nutrients with a predicted increase in deposition of Saharan dust may ultimately determine the consequences of climate warming for N2 fixation in the North Atlantic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rijkenberg, Micha J.A. Langlois, Rebecca J. Mills, Matthew M. Patey, Matthew D. Hill, Polly G. Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun Compton, Tanya J. LaRoche, Julie Achterberg, Eric P. |
spellingShingle |
Rijkenberg, Micha J.A. Langlois, Rebecca J. Mills, Matthew M. Patey, Matthew D. Hill, Polly G. Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun Compton, Tanya J. LaRoche, Julie Achterberg, Eric P. Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
author_facet |
Rijkenberg, Micha J.A. Langlois, Rebecca J. Mills, Matthew M. Patey, Matthew D. Hill, Polly G. Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun Compton, Tanya J. LaRoche, Julie Achterberg, Eric P. |
author_sort |
Rijkenberg, Micha J.A. |
title |
Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
environmental forcing of nitrogen fixation in the eastern tropical and sub-tropical north atlantic ocean |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/306259/ |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
Rijkenberg, Micha J.A.; Langlois, Rebecca J.; Mills, Matthew M.; Patey, Matthew D. orcid:0000-0001-8677-2818 Hill, Polly G.; Nielsdóttir, Maria Chun; Compton, Tanya J.; LaRoche, Julie; Achterberg, Eric P. 2011 Environmental Forcing of Nitrogen Fixation in the Eastern Tropical and Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Ocean. PLoS ONE, 6 (12). e28989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989 <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028989 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
e28989 |
_version_ |
1766125959524646912 |