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      Feedback Interactions between Trace Metal Nutrients and Phytoplankton in the Ocean

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          Abstract

          In addition to control by major nutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon) the productivity and species composition of marine phytoplankton communities are also regulated by a number of trace metal nutrients (iron, zinc, cobalt, manganese, copper, and cadmium). Of these, iron is most limiting to phytoplankton growth and has the greatest effect on algal species diversity. It also plays an important role in limiting di-nitrogen (N 2) fixation rates, and thus is important in controlling ocean inventories of fixed nitrogen. Because of these effects, iron is thought to play a key role in regulating biological cycles of carbon and nitrogen in the ocean, including the biological transfer of carbon to the deep sea, the so-called biological CO 2 pump, which helps regulate atmospheric CO 2 and CO 2-linked global warming. Other trace metal nutrients (zinc, cobalt, copper, and manganese) have lesser effects on productivity; but may exert an important influence on the species composition of algal communities because of large differences in metal requirements among species. The interactions between trace metals and ocean plankton are reciprocal: not only do the metals control the plankton, but the plankton regulate the distributions, chemical speciation, and cycling of these metals through cellular uptake and recycling processes, downward flux of biogenic particles, biological release of organic chelators, and mediation of redox reactions. This two way interaction has influenced not only the biology and chemistry of the modern ocean, but has had a profound influence on biogeochemistry of the ocean and earth system as a whole, and on the evolution of marine and terrestrial biology over geologic history.

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          Global iron connections between desert dust, ocean biogeochemistry, and climate.

          The environmental conditions of Earth, including the climate, are determined by physical, chemical, biological, and human interactions that transform and transport materials and energy. This is the "Earth system": a highly complex entity characterized by multiple nonlinear responses and thresholds, with linkages between disparate components. One important part of this system is the iron cycle, in which iron-containing soil dust is transported from land through the atmosphere to the oceans, affecting ocean biogeochemistry and hence having feedback effects on climate and dust production. Here we review the key components of this cycle, identifying critical uncertainties and priorities for future research.
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            Iron deficiency limits phytoplankton growth in the north-east Pacific subarctic

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              Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes.

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Front Microbiol
                Front Microbiol
                Front. Microbio.
                Frontiers in Microbiology
                Frontiers Research Foundation
                1664-302X
                07 June 2012
                2012
                : 3
                : 204
                Affiliations
                [1] 1simpleNational Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Beaufort, NC, USA
                Author notes

                Edited by: Martha Gledhill, University of Southampton, UK

                Reviewed by: Christel Hassler, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; Kenneth Bruland, University of California at Santa Cruz, USA

                *Correspondence: William G. Sunda, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28512, USA. e-mail: bill.sunda@ 123456noaa.gov

                This article was submitted to Frontiers in Microbiological Chemistry, a specialty of Frontiers in Microbiology.

                Article
                10.3389/fmicb.2012.00204
                3369199
                22701115
                b156e728-5b06-44ff-a42d-61a41ad96be5
                Copyright © 2012 Sunda.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited.

                History
                : 28 December 2011
                : 17 May 2012
                Page count
                Figures: 9, Tables: 2, Equations: 4, References: 242, Pages: 22, Words: 21718
                Categories
                Microbiology
                Review Article

                Microbiology & Virology
                manganese,cobalt,trace metal chemistry,trace metal nutrients,iron,phytoplankton,zinc,cadmium

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