IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-61061-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nitrogen and phosphorus differentially control marine biomass production and stoichiometry

Author

Listed:
  • Emily A. Seelen

    (Department of Earth Science
    College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences)

  • Samantha J. Gleich

    (Department of Biological Sciences)

  • William Kumler

    (School of Oceanography)

  • Hanna S. Anderson

    (Columbia University
    Department of Earth and Environmental Science)

  • Xiaopeng Bian

    (Department of Earth Science)

  • Karin M. Björkman

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • David A. Caron

    (Department of Biological Sciences)

  • Sonya T. Dyhrman

    (Columbia University
    Department of Earth and Environmental Science)

  • Sara Ferrón

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • Zoe V. Finkel

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • Sheean T. Haley

    (Columbia University)

  • Ying-Yu Hu

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • Anitra E. Ingalls

    (School of Oceanography)

  • Andrew J. Irwin

    (Department of Mathematics & Statistics)

  • David M. Karl

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • Kyeong Pil Kong

    (Department of Earth Science)

  • Daniel P. Lowenstein

    (Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
    WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering)

  • Andrés E. Salazar Estrada

    (Department of Oceanography)

  • Emily Townsend

    (Department of Earth Science)

  • John C. Tracey

    (Columbia University)

  • Kendra Turk-Kubo

    (Ocean Sciences Department)

  • Benjamin A. S. Mooy

    (Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry)

  • Seth G. John

    (Department of Earth Science)

Abstract

Globally averaged, surface particulate nitrogen and phosphorus approximate the 16:1, N:P “Redfield ratio.” In observations, N:P ratios vary latitudinally at ranges attributable to both phytoplankton community composition and physiological acclimation, but their relative contributions to the N:P ratio remain unclear. Here, results from a 29-day mesocosm experiment highlight how inorganic nitrogen and/or phosphorus nutrient supply can affect the bulk particle stoichiometry of a North Pacific Subtropical Gyre plankton community. Nitrogen additions, with and without phosphorus, increase total productivity and diatom abundance, whereas treatments with just phosphorus additions remain similar to the no-nutrient addition control. Continual nitrogen supply without phosphorus results in higher particulate N:P ratios than expected based on the phytoplankton community present. Several P-stress markers identified in those treatments highlight the importance of acclimation in extending particulate N:P ratios beyond the Redfield ratio. Phytoplankton’s ability to maintain growth under P-stress conditions has implications for global carbon cycling.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily A. Seelen & Samantha J. Gleich & William Kumler & Hanna S. Anderson & Xiaopeng Bian & Karin M. Björkman & David A. Caron & Sonya T. Dyhrman & Sara Ferrón & Zoe V. Finkel & Sheean T. Haley & Ying, 2025. "Nitrogen and phosphorus differentially control marine biomass production and stoichiometry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61061-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61061-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61061-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-61061-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael W. Lomas & Nicholas R. Bates & Rodney J. Johnson & Deborah K. Steinberg & Tatsuro Tanioka, 2022. "Adaptive carbon export response to warming in the Sargasso Sea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Thomas S. Weber & Curtis Deutsch, 2010. "Ocean nutrient ratios governed by plankton biogeography," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7315), pages 550-554, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Auguères, Anne-Sophie & Loreau, Michel, 2016. "Biotic regulation of non-limiting nutrient pools and coupling of biogeochemical cycles," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 334(C), pages 1-7.
    2. Wan, Zhenwen & Bi, Hongsheng, 2014. "Comparing model scenarios of variable plankton N/P ratio versus the constant one for the application in the Baltic Sea," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 272(C), pages 28-39.
    3. Greg M. Silsbe & James Fox & Toby K. Westberry & Kimberly H. Halsey, 2025. "Global declines in net primary production in the ocean color era," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Daniel Graeber & Mark J. McCarthy & Tom Shatwell & Dietrich Borchardt & Erik Jeppesen & Martin Søndergaard & Torben L. Lauridsen & Thomas A. Davidson, 2024. "Consistent stoichiometric long-term relationships between nutrients and chlorophyll-a across shallow lakes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Alexandra Moura & Michael A Savageau & Rui Alves, 2013. "Relative Amino Acid Composition Signatures of Organisms and Environments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(10), pages 1-9, October.
    6. Shuo Wang & Jilin Huang & Zhen Wu & Shengjie Li & Xianfang Zhu & Yong Liu & Guodong Ji, 2025. "Global mapping of flux and microbial sources for oceanic N2O," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61061-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.