IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v442y2006i7106d10.1038_nature05083.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Controls on tropical Pacific Ocean productivity revealed through nutrient stress diagnostics

Author

Listed:
  • Michael J. Behrenfeld

    (Cordley Hall 2082, Oregon State University)

  • Kirby Worthington

    (Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Robert M. Sherrell

    (Rutgers University)

  • Francisco P. Chavez

    (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

  • Peter Strutton

    (Oregon State University)

  • Michael McPhaden

    (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)

  • Donald M. Shea

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

Abstract

The Oceans in Colour Phytoplankton growth rates can now be estimated from satellite ocean colour measurements, but this remarkable development requires an understanding of the specific growth-limiting nutrients. In situ iron-enrichment experiments have revolutionized our understanding of nutrient constraints, but only on a scale of tens of kilometres. In regions like the equatorial Pacific, high surface nitrate and vanishingly low iron can cause phytoplankton to synthesize special pigment-protein complexes with unique fluorescence properties. A new study combines this understanding of physiological responses to iron stress with field data spanning thousands of square kilometres to more accurately estimate phytoplankton growth in this climate-critical region. The findings show that the 'greenness' of phytoplankton is not always an accurate reflection of primary productivity. See Fig. 1 on page 1025 to match the study area with the cover image.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael J. Behrenfeld & Kirby Worthington & Robert M. Sherrell & Francisco P. Chavez & Peter Strutton & Michael McPhaden & Donald M. Shea, 2006. "Controls on tropical Pacific Ocean productivity revealed through nutrient stress diagnostics," Nature, Nature, vol. 442(7106), pages 1025-1028, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:442:y:2006:i:7106:d:10.1038_nature05083
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05083
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05083
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature05083?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    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:nature:v:442:y:2006:i:7106:d:10.1038_nature05083. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.