Record Details
Summer surface waters in the Gulf of California: Prime habitat for biological N₂ fixation
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Summer surface waters in the Gulf of California: Prime habitat for biological N₂ fixation |
| Names |
White, Angelicque E.
(creator) Prahl, Fredrick G. (creator) Letelier, Ricardo M. (creator) Popp, Brian N. (creator) |
| Date Issued | 2007-05-30 (iso8601) |
| Note | Copyrighted by American Geophysical Union. |
| Abstract | We report significant rates of dinitrogen (N₂) fixation in the central basins of the Gulf of California (GC) during July–August 2005. Mixing model estimates based upon δ¹⁵N values of particulate matter in the surface mixed layer indicate that N₂ fixation provides as much as 35% to 48% of the phytoplankton-based nitrogen demand in the central Guaymas and Carmen basins. Microscopic analyses identify the responsible genera as the N₂-fixing endosymbiont, Richelia intracellularis, with lesser contributions from the large nonheterocystous diazotroph Trichodesmium. Analyses of remotely sensed chlorophyll a and sea surface temperature indicate that primary production levels are elevated in regions of the GC where oceanographic conditions are ideal in summertime for the growth of N₂-fixing organisms. These findings suggest that biological N₂ fixation must be taken into account when assessing past and present nitrogen dynamics in this environmentally important region. |
| Genre | Article |
| Topic | nitrogen fixation |
| Identifier | White, A. E., F. G. Prahl, R. M. Letelier, and B. N. Popp (2007), Summer surface waters in the Gulf of California: Prime habitat for biological N2 fixation, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 21, GB2017, doi:10.1029/2006GB002779. |
