Prevalence of multi-micronutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean
Baeyens, W.C.; Gao, Y.; Janssen, D.J.; Bowie, A.R.; Zhou, C.; Fan, G. (2025). Prevalence of multi-micronutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean. One Earth 8(9): 101354. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101354
In: One Earth. Cell Press: Cambridge. ISSN 2590-3330; e-ISSN 2590-3322
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| Author keywords |
diffusive gradients; iron-limitation; weddell sea; cobalt; zinc; cadmium; interreplacement; availability; colimitation; silicate |
| Auteurs | | Top |
- Baeyens, W.C., meer
- Gao, Y.
- Janssen, D.J.
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- Bowie, A.R.
- Zhou, C.
- Fan, G.
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| Abstract |
Ongoing global warming caused by a steady increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere urgently needs to be mitigated. This is possible if phytoplankton biomass is increased in the ocean, as this will remove additional atmospheric CO2. In the Southern Ocean, Fe is a well-known growth-limiting element, but the role of the other micronutrients remains very unclear. Our aim is to describe the evolution of each nutrient in the Southern Ocean throughout the year and to identify nutrients that limit phytoplankton growth. Therefore, we created a model that calculates nutrient consumption rates and available nutrient pools, fueled by deep winter mixing and diapycnal supply. Annual consumed nutrient amounts are smaller than their labile dissolved pools, but this is not true for limiting elements Fe and Co (from the sub-Antarctic zone [SAZ] to the Antarctic zone [AZ]) and Zn and Si (only in the SAZ). Since we found several limiting elements, fertilization with multiple nutrients would be required to promote large-scale carbon capture. |
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