Bioactive Trace Metal Distributions and Biogeochemical Controls in the Southern Ocean

Type Article
Date 2012-09
Language English
Author(s) Measures Christopher I.1, Hatta Mariko1, Grand Maxime M.1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Hawaii, Dept Oceanog, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA.
Source Oceanography (1042-8275) (Oceanography Soc), 2012-09 , Vol. 25 , N. 3 , P. 122-133
DOI 10.5670/oceanog.2012.85
WOS© Times Cited 13
Note Special Issue on Antarctic Oceanography in a Changing World
Abstract Extensive sampling in many regions of the Southern Ocean has demonstrated that surface water concentrations of dissolved Fe are low enough to limit phytoplankton growth. In contrast, there is currently no evidence that other bioactive elements (e.g., Mn, Zn, Co) are similarly limiting. Although atmospheric input of dissolved Fe to Southern Ocean surface waters appears to be low, resuspension of sediments from shallow regions around islands and the Antarctic coastline can inject significant amounts of Fe into the surrounding waters, stimulating primary production and providing a natural laboratory for studying the response of biological systems to natural Fe fertilization processes. Future work using a multitracer approach across seasonal transitions would be particularly beneficial to quantifying input processes and fluxes. However, it would require the design of new sampling platforms that can accommodate trace metal sampling under extreme weather conditions.
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