Nitrous oxide production by estuarine epiphyton

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Limnology and Oceanography; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1993.38.2.0435· OSTI ID:6178726

Law, C S; Rees, A P; Owens, N J.P. ^[1]

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1. Plymouth Marine Lab., Devon (United Kingdom)

Nitrous oxide was produced by denitrifying bacteria in epiphytic communities on the surface of the macroalgae Enteromorpha sp. and Fucus sp. during spring-summer in the Tamar estuary, SW England. Denitrification and N[sub 2]O production exhibited diel variability, in response to photosynthetic oxygen production. Temporal variability in the rate of N[sub 2]O production was observed in Enteromorpha incubations; the variability reflected the heterogeneity of the epiphytic microbial population density. N[sub 2]O production by epiphyton associated with Enteromorpha would enhance the sediment N[sub 2]O flux by 150-500% at maximal algal densities and so increase estuarine N[sub 2]O flux to the atmosphere. 20 refs., 6 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6178726
• Journal Information: Limnology and Oceanography; (United States), Vol. 38:2; ISSN 0024-3590
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
POPULATION DENSITY
NITROUS OXIDE
DAILY VARIATIONS
PRODUCTION
ALGAE
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DENITRIFICATION
ESTUARIES
FUCUS
GREENHOUSE GASES
NITRIFICATION
OXYGEN
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMOPHYCOTA
ELEMENTS
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
SEAWEEDS
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
550700* - Microbiology