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Title: Nutrient recycling on the southeastern US continental shelf: Progress report, March 1, 1985 to February 28, 1987

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7148628

During the present contract year, time was spent processing: (1) SPREX nitrogen recycling data, (2) PreSPREX bacterial growth and production, (3) SPREX bacterial growth and production, (4) BIOTRANS nitrogen recycling, (5) GALE nitrogen recycling, and (6) COASTAL BOUNDARY ZONE (CBZ) nitrogen recycling. During SPREX, rates of ammonium utilization and regeneration were determined. The results indicate that more than enough ammonium nitrogen was regenerated to support the measured rates of primary production in the CBZ. However, the rates of ammonium uptake and regeneration were not balanced. Picoplankton were responsible for regenerating nearly all of the ammonium, and nanoplankton consumed most of the regenerated nitrogen. In addition, it appeared that phytoplankton were able to utilized ammonium when deprived of light and were not physiologically nitrogen limited. During Pre-SPREX, becterial dynamics were determined in the Coastal Boundary Zone. BIOTRANS is ongoing and measurements include ammonium utilization and regeneration in the water column and sediments. Estimates of ammonium diffusion and flux from sediments are also being determined temporally and spatially. On the GALE Cruise, nitrogen recycling was measured to obtain data on winter rates in coastal and shelf waters off Georgia and South Carolina. We are continuing our spatial study of nitrogen recycling in the sediments of the Coastal Boundary Zone off South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Research Organization:
Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography, Savannah, GA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
FG09-85ER60311
OSTI ID:
7148628
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60311-2; ON: DE87002483
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English