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Interrelated influence of iron, light and cell size on marine phytoplankton growth

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  • William G. Sunda

    (National Marine Fisheries Service)

  • Susan A. Huntsman

    (National Marine Fisheries Service)

Abstract

The sub-optimal growth of phytoplankton and the resulting persistence of unutilized plant nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) in the surface waters of certain ocean regions has been a long-standing puzzle1,2. Of these regions, the Southern Ocean seems to play the greatest role in the global carbon cycle3,4, but controversy exists as to the dominant controls on net algal production. Limitation by iron deficiency4,5, light availability1,6,7 and grazing by zooplankton2 have been proposed. Here we present the results from culture experiments showing that the amount of cellular iron needed to support growth is higher under lower light intensities, owing to a greater requirement for photosynthetic iron-based redox proteins by low-light acclimatized algae. Moreover, algal iron uptake varies with cell surface area, such that the growth of small cells is favoured under iron limitation, as predicted theoretically8. Phytoplankton growth can therefore be simultaneously limited by the availability of both iron and light. Such a co-limitation may be experienced by phytoplankton in iron-poor regions in which the surface mixed layer extends below the euphotic zone—as often occurs in the Southern Ocean6,7—or near the bottom of the euphotic zone in more stratified waters. By favouring the growth of smaller cells, iron/light co-limitation should increase grazing by microzooplankton, and thus minimize the loss of fixed carbon and nitrogen from surface waters in settling particles9,10.

Suggested Citation

  • William G. Sunda & Susan A. Huntsman, 1997. "Interrelated influence of iron, light and cell size on marine phytoplankton growth," Nature, Nature, vol. 390(6658), pages 389-392, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:390:y:1997:i:6658:d:10.1038_37093
    DOI: 10.1038/37093
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    1. Marta Estrada & Maximino Delgado & Dolors Blasco & Mikel Latasa & Ana María Cabello & Verónica Benítez-Barrios & Eugenio Fraile-Nuez & Patricija Mozetič & Montserrat Vidal, 2016. "Phytoplankton across Tropical and Subtropical Regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Rickels, Wilfried & Rehdanz, Katrin & Oschlies, Andreas, 2012. "Economic prospects of ocean iron fertilization in an international carbon market," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 129-150.
    3. Dragone, Giuliano & Fernandes, Bruno D. & Abreu, Ana P. & Vicente, António A. & Teixeira, José A., 2011. "Nutrient limitation as a strategy for increasing starch accumulation in microalgae," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(10), pages 3331-3335.
    4. Ratnarajah, Lavenia & Melbourne-Thomas, Jessica & Marzloff, Martin P. & Lannuzel, Delphine & Meiners, Klaus M. & Chever, Fanny & Nicol, Stephen & Bowie, Andrew R., 2016. "A preliminary model of iron fertilisation by baleen whales and Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean: Sensitivity of primary productivity estimates to parameter uncertainty," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 320(C), pages 203-212.
    5. Rickels, Wilfried & Rehdanz, Katrin & Oschlies, Andreas, 2010. "Methods for greenhouse gas offset accounting: A case study of ocean iron fertilization," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 2495-2509, October.
    6. Yaqin Zhang & Chang Liu & Yuxia Li & Liuting Song & Jie Yang & Rui Zuo & Jian Li & Yanguo Teng & Jinsheng Wang, 2022. "Spectroscopic Characteristics and Speciation Distribution of Fe(III) Binding to Molecular Weight-Dependent Standard Pahokee Peat Fulvic Acid," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-18, June.
    7. Priester, C. Robert & Melbourne-Thomas, Jessica & Klocker, Andreas & Corney, Stuart, 2017. "Abrupt transitions in dynamics of a NPZD model across Southern Ocean fronts," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 359(C), pages 372-382.

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