Distribution, fluxes and biological utilization of inorganic nitrogen during a spring bloom in the New York Bight

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Mar. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5372344

Conway, H L; Whitledge, T E

The utilization of ammonium (NH/sub 4/) and nitrate (NO/sub 3/) by natural phytoplankton communities was measured during a Ceratium tripos-dominated spring bloom in the New York Bight. During 6 to 8 hour uptake experiments, the inshore phytoplankton communities that were typically located at depths greater than or equal to 25 m were characterized by NH/sub 4/ and NO/sub 3/ uptake rates that were less light-dependent than those of the more uniformly distributed communities at the shelf break. Measurements of NH/sub 4/ utilization, as a percentage of NH/sub 4/ plus NO/sub 3/ utilization, yielded values of 59% inshore and 70% at the shelf break. High biomass of zooplankton at the shelf break suggested they could account for approx. 62% of the regenerate production (i.e, based on NH/sub 4/), while inshore, estimates of regenerated NH/sub 4/ from zooplankton, benthos and bacterioplankton could account for 38 to 53% of the phytoplankton requirements. In the cross-shelf distribution, the ambient concentrations of NH/sub 4/ and NO/sub 3/ in the surface water were approx. 0.4 and approx. 0.1 ..mu..mol L/sup -1/, respectively; however at depths between 25 and 50 m, concentrations of approx. 2and approx. 4 ..mu..mol L/sup -1/ were observed.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 5372344
• Journal Information: J. Mar. Res.; (United States), Vol. 37:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
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AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
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NITRATES
BENTHOS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
PHOTOSENSITIVITY
PHYTOPLANKTON
UPTAKE
ZOOPLANKTON
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ECOSYSTEMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
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PLANKTON
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