Abstract
Recently, it has been suggested that marine primary productivity can be influenced by direct inputs of fixed inorganic nitrogen (NO−3, NO−2 and NH+4) from atmospheric deposition, and that this may be important in shaping trends of productivity in coastal areas1. It is known that anthropogenic contaminants are transported from North America to the Sargasso Sea, affecting the chemistry of rain water over this oligotrophic ocean area. Here we present data collected between 1982 and 1984 as part of the Western Atlantic Ocean Experiment (WATOX) by a wet-only precipitation collector on Bermuda. Our measurements of the anthropogenic fixed nitrogen in the rainwater samples are discussed in the context of the amount of nitrogen required to support ‘new’ primary production in the Sargasso Sea. We show that the effects of atmospheric deposition are insignificant
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Paerl, H. W. Nature 315, 747–749 (1985).
Brimblecombe, P. & Stedman, D. H. Nature 298, 460–462 (1982).
Menzel, D. & Ryther, J. Deep-Sea Res. 6, 351–367 (1960).
Jickells, T. D., Knap, A. H., Church, T., Galloway, J. N. & Miller, J. Nature 297, 55–57 (1982).
Church, T. M., Galloway, J. N., Jickells, T. D. & Knap, A. H. J. geophys. Res. 87, 11013–11018 (1982).
Galloway, J. N. in The Biogeochemical Cycling of Sulfur and Nitrogen in the Remote Atmosphere (eds Galloway, J. N., Charlson, R. J., Andrae, M. O. & Rodhe, H.) (Reidel, Dordrecht, in the press).
Galloway, J. N., Knap, A. H. & Church, T. M. J. geophys. Res. 88, 10859–10864 (1983).
Wright, W. R. & Knap, A. H. Intergovtl oceanogr. Commn Tech. Ser. 24 (1983).
Jenkins, W. J. & Goldman, J. C. J. mar. Res. 43, 465–491 (1985).
Galloway, J. N., Likens, G. E., Keene, W. C. & Miller, J. J. geophys. Res. 87, 8771–8786 (1982).
Keene, W. C., Pszenny, A. A. P., Galloway, J. N. & Hawley, M. E. J. geophys. Res. (submitted).
Jickells, T. D. & Hillier, G. B. in Bermuda biol. Stn Spec. Publ. No. 18, 63–66 (1982).
Redfield, A. C., Ketchum, B. H. & Richards, F. A. in The Sea Vol. 2 (ed. Hill, M. N.) (Interscience, London, 1963).
Takahashi, T., Broeker, W. S. & Langer, S. J geophys. Res. 90, 6907–6924 (1985).
Dugdale, R. C. & Goering, J. J. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12, 196–206 (1967).
Klein, P. & Coste, B. Deep Sea Res. 31, 21–37 (1984).
Carpenter, E. D. & McCarthy, J. J. Limnol. Oceanogr. 20, 389–401 (1975).
Menzel, D. W. & Spaeth, J. P. Limnol. Oceanogr. 7, 159–162 (1962).
McCarthy, J. J. & Carpenter, E. D. Nitrogen in the Marine Environment (eds Carpenter, E. J. & Capone, D. G.) 487–512 (Academic, New York, 1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Knap, A., Jickells, T., Pszenny, A. et al. Significance of atmospheric-derived fixed nitrogen on productivity of the Sargasso Sea. Nature 320, 158–160 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/320158a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/320158a0
This article is cited by
-
Strategies among phytoplankton in response to alleviation of nutrient stress in a subtropical gyre
The ISME Journal (2019)
-
Biogeochemical responses associated with the passage of a cyclonic eddy based on shipboard observations in the western North Pacific
Journal of Oceanography (2014)
-
Atmospheric deposition of nutrients to the North Atlantic Basin
Biogeochemistry (1996)
-
Inputs, losses and transformations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the pelagic North Atlantic Ocean
Biogeochemistry (1996)
-
An assessment of nitrogen fixation as a source of nitrogen to the North Atlantic Ocean
Biogeochemistry (1996)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.