Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

J. H. Martin; K. H. Coale; K. S. Johnson; S. E. Fitzwater; R. M. Gordon; S. J. Tanner; C. N. Hunter; V. A. Elrod; J. L. Nowicki; T. L. Coley; R. T. Barber; S. Lindley; A. J. Watson; K. Van Scoy; C. S. Law; M. I. Liddicoat; R. Ling; T. Stanton; J. Stockel; C. Collins; A. Anderson; R. Bidigare; M. Ondrusek; M. Latasa; F. J. Millero; K. Lee; W. Yao; J. Z. Zhang; G. Friederich; C. Sakamoto; F. Chavez; K. Buck; Z. Kolber; R. Greene; P. Falkowski; S. W. Chisholm; F. Hoge; R. Swift; J. Yungel; S. Turner; P. Nightingale; A. Hatton; P. Liss; N. W. Tindale

doi:10.1038/371123a0

Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

J. H. Martin
, K. H. Coale^*
, K. S. Johnson
, S. E. Fitzwater
, R. M. Gordon
, S. J. Tanner
, C. N. Hunter
, V. A. Elrod
, J. L. Nowicki
, T. L. Coley
, R. T. Barber
, S. Lindley
, A. J. Watson
, K. Van Scoy
, C. S. Law
, M. I. Liddicoat
, R. Ling
, T. Stanton
, J. Stockel
, C. Collins

A. Anderson, R. Bidigare, M. Ondrusek, M. Latasa, F. J. Millero, K. Lee, W. Yao, J. Z. Zhang, G. Friederich, C. Sakamoto, F. Chavez, K. Buck, Z. Kolber, R. Greene, P. Falkowski, S. W. Chisholm, F. Hoge, R. Swift, J. Yungel, S. Turner, P. Nightingale, A. Hatton, P. Liss, N. W. Tindale

^*Corresponding author for this work

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Duke University
Mote Marine Laboratory
Naval Postgraduate School
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
University of East Anglia
The University of Texas System

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1229 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The idea that iron might limit phytoplankton growth in large regions of the ocean has been tested by enriching an area of 64 km² in the open equatorial Pacific Ocean with iron. This resulted in a doubling of plant biomass, a threefold increase in chlorophyll and a fourfold increase in plant production. Similar increases were found in a chlorophyll-rich plume down-stream of the Galapagos Islands, which was naturally enriched in iron. These findings indicate that iron limitation can control rates of phytoplankton productivity and biomass in the ocean.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	123-129
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature
Volume	371
Issue number	6493
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/371123a0
Publication status	Published - 1994
Externally published	Yes

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Martin, J. H., Coale, K. H., Johnson, K. S., Fitzwater, S. E., Gordon, R. M., Tanner, S. J., Hunter, C. N., Elrod, V. A., Nowicki, J. L., Coley, T. L., Barber, R. T., Lindley, S., Watson, A. J., Van Scoy, K., Law, C. S., Liddicoat, M. I., Ling, R., Stanton, T., Stockel, J., ... Tindale, N. W. (1994). Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Nature, 371(6493), 123-129. https://doi.org/10.1038/371123a0

@article{40893e13090d450688e5374e9ff151b8,

title = "Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean",

abstract = "The idea that iron might limit phytoplankton growth in large regions of the ocean has been tested by enriching an area of 64 km2 in the open equatorial Pacific Ocean with iron. This resulted in a doubling of plant biomass, a threefold increase in chlorophyll and a fourfold increase in plant production. Similar increases were found in a chlorophyll-rich plume down-stream of the Galapagos Islands, which was naturally enriched in iron. These findings indicate that iron limitation can control rates of phytoplankton productivity and biomass in the ocean.",

author = "Martin, \{J. H.\} and Coale, \{K. H.\} and Johnson, \{K. S.\} and Fitzwater, \{S. E.\} and Gordon, \{R. M.\} and Tanner, \{S. J.\} and Hunter, \{C. N.\} and Elrod, \{V. A.\} and Nowicki, \{J. L.\} and Coley, \{T. L.\} and Barber, \{R. T.\} and S. Lindley and Watson, \{A. J.\} and \{Van Scoy\}, K. and Law, \{C. S.\} and Liddicoat, \{M. I.\} and R. Ling and T. Stanton and J. Stockel and C. Collins and A. Anderson and R. Bidigare and M. Ondrusek and M. Latasa and Millero, \{F. J.\} and K. Lee and W. Yao and Zhang, \{J. Z.\} and G. Friederich and C. Sakamoto and F. Chavez and K. Buck and Z. Kolber and R. Greene and P. Falkowski and Chisholm, \{S. W.\} and F. Hoge and R. Swift and J. Yungel and S. Turner and P. Nightingale and A. Hatton and P. Liss and Tindale, \{N. W.\}",

year = "1994",

doi = "10.1038/371123a0",

language = "English",

volume = "371",

pages = "123--129",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Springer Nature",

number = "6493",

}

Martin, JH, Coale, KH, Johnson, KS, Fitzwater, SE, Gordon, RM, Tanner, SJ, Hunter, CN, Elrod, VA, Nowicki, JL, Coley, TL, Barber, RT, Lindley, S, Watson, AJ, Van Scoy, K, Law, CS, Liddicoat, MI, Ling, R, Stanton, T, Stockel, J, Collins, C, Anderson, A, Bidigare, R, Ondrusek, M, Latasa, M, Millero, FJ, Lee, K, Yao, W, Zhang, JZ, Friederich, G, Sakamoto, C, Chavez, F, Buck, K, Kolber, Z, Greene, R, Falkowski, P, Chisholm, SW, Hoge, F, Swift, R, Yungel, J, Turner, S, Nightingale, P, Hatton, A, Liss, P & Tindale, NW 1994, 'Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean', Nature, vol. 371, no. 6493, pp. 123-129. https://doi.org/10.1038/371123a0

TY - JOUR

T1 - Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

AU - Martin, J. H.

AU - Coale, K. H.

AU - Johnson, K. S.

AU - Fitzwater, S. E.

AU - Gordon, R. M.

AU - Tanner, S. J.

AU - Hunter, C. N.

AU - Elrod, V. A.

AU - Nowicki, J. L.

AU - Coley, T. L.

AU - Barber, R. T.

AU - Lindley, S.

AU - Watson, A. J.

AU - Van Scoy, K.

AU - Law, C. S.

AU - Liddicoat, M. I.

AU - Ling, R.

AU - Stanton, T.

AU - Stockel, J.

AU - Collins, C.

AU - Anderson, A.

AU - Bidigare, R.

AU - Ondrusek, M.

AU - Latasa, M.

AU - Millero, F. J.

AU - Lee, K.

AU - Yao, W.

AU - Zhang, J. Z.

AU - Friederich, G.

AU - Sakamoto, C.

AU - Chavez, F.

AU - Buck, K.

AU - Kolber, Z.

AU - Greene, R.

AU - Falkowski, P.

AU - Chisholm, S. W.

AU - Hoge, F.

AU - Swift, R.

AU - Yungel, J.

AU - Turner, S.

AU - Nightingale, P.

AU - Hatton, A.

AU - Liss, P.

AU - Tindale, N. W.

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - The idea that iron might limit phytoplankton growth in large regions of the ocean has been tested by enriching an area of 64 km2 in the open equatorial Pacific Ocean with iron. This resulted in a doubling of plant biomass, a threefold increase in chlorophyll and a fourfold increase in plant production. Similar increases were found in a chlorophyll-rich plume down-stream of the Galapagos Islands, which was naturally enriched in iron. These findings indicate that iron limitation can control rates of phytoplankton productivity and biomass in the ocean.

AB - The idea that iron might limit phytoplankton growth in large regions of the ocean has been tested by enriching an area of 64 km2 in the open equatorial Pacific Ocean with iron. This resulted in a doubling of plant biomass, a threefold increase in chlorophyll and a fourfold increase in plant production. Similar increases were found in a chlorophyll-rich plume down-stream of the Galapagos Islands, which was naturally enriched in iron. These findings indicate that iron limitation can control rates of phytoplankton productivity and biomass in the ocean.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0028161223

U2 - 10.1038/371123a0

DO - 10.1038/371123a0

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0028161223

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 371

SP - 123

EP - 129

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 6493

ER -

Testing the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Abstract

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