American Geophysical Union Become an AGU Member
Subscribe to AGU Journals		 AGU Home AGU Publications

Print Version (350968 bytes)

EOS, TRANSACTIONS AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION, VOL. 84, NO. 18, doi:10.1029/2003EO180001, 2003

Phosphorus Deficiency in the Atlantic: An Emerging Paradigm in Oceanography

James W. Ammerman

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA


Raleigh R. Hood

Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland, USA


Darin A. Case

none, Long Beach, California, USA


James B. Cotner

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA


Abstract

Nitrogen, iron, and silica are widely considered to be the most important nutrients that limit phytoplankton growth in the world's oceans. Though clearly important in lakes, the role of phosphorus has been largely ignored in the ocean. In part, this is because of early studies that suggested there was excess phosphate (P) relative to the needs of the phytoplankton in open ocean waters. Thanks to recent studies at the Hawaiian Ocean Time (HOT) series station (Station ALOHA) in the North Pacific subtropical gyre [Karl et al., 2001, and references therein], there is a growing appreciation of the potential importance of phosphorus as a limiting nutrient in subtropical Pacific waters. However, in spite of the fact that there is substantial evidence of phosphorus deficiency, relative to nitrogen [N], in subtropical Atlantic waters, and obvious reasons for this deficiency, many oceanographers do not appreciate the potential importance of phosphorus as a limiting nutrient in the Atlantic Ocean. If we wish to understand the factors that control primary production in the Atlantic, both now and in the future as the oceans respond to global warming, then we must consider phosphorus, as well as nitrogen, iron, and silica. The central goal of this article is to summarize and further emphasize the growing body of evidence that indicates the potential importance of phosphorus as a limiting nutrient in the Atlantic Ocean.

Index Terms: 4845 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Nutrients and nutrient cycling; 4805 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Biogeochemical cycles (1615); 4806 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Carbon cycling.

Print Version (350968 bytes)

Citation: Ammerman, J. W., R. R. Hood, D. A. Case, and J. B. Cotner (2003), Phosphorus Deficiency in the Atlantic: An Emerging Paradigm in Oceanography, Eos Trans. AGU, 84(18), doi:10.1029/2003EO180001.