An overview of dissolved Fe and Mn distributions during the 2010–2011 U.S. GEOTRACES north Atlantic cruises: GEOTRACES GA03

High-resolution dissolved Fe (dFe) and dissolved Mn (dMn) distributions were obtained using a trace metal clean rosette during the GEOTRACES GA03 zonal transect cruises (USGT10 and USGT11) across the North Atlantic Ocean. This manuscript provides a general overview of the dFe, as well as dMn and dissolved Al (dAl) distributions that reveal several Fe inputs at varying depths across the study region. Elevated dFe concentrations correlate with elevated dAl concentrations in the surface waters of the subtropical gyre, indicating a significant atmospheric source of Fe, in contrast there is no apparent significant dust source for Mn. In the subsurface waters, dFe maxima are a result of the remineralization process, as revealed by their correspondence with dissolved oxygen minima. Within the oxygen minimum, the ratio of dFe to apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) is lower than would be expected from the measured Fe content of surface water phytoplankton, suggesting that a significant amount of dFe that is remineralized at depth (~63–90%) is subsequently scavenged from the water column. The rate of remineralization, which is based on the slope of dFe:AOU plot, is similar across a wide area of the North Atlantic. In addition to the remineralization process, sedimentary inputs are apparent from elevated dMn signals in the eastern basin, particularly near the African coast. In the western basin, sedimentary input is also occurring along the advective flow path of the Upper Labrador Sea Water (ULSW), as ULSW transits along the North American continental shelf region. The largest dFe anomaly (~68nM), which also corresponds to a dMn anomaly (up to ~33nM) is seen in the neutrally buoyant hydrothermal plume sampled over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and that signal is visible for ~500km to the west of the ridge

The relative roles of modified circumpolar deep water and benthic sources in supplying iron to the recurrent phytoplankton blooms above Pennell and Mawson Banks, Ross Sea, Antarctica

The role that dissolved iron (dFe) rich Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) might play in sustaining the consistently observed discrete patches of high chlorophyll biomass over Pennell Bank (PB) and Mawson Bank (MB) in the Ross Sea, was investigated during January/February 2011. Over a 26-day period, hydrographic and trace metal clean water sampling was carried out adjacent to both of these banks, in some cases repeatedly. Particulate sampling was also accomplished at selected stations by in situ pumping. The results indicate that the dFe content of the CDW is in fact reduced by on-shelf mixing with Antarctic Surface Water as it transitions into modified CDW (MCDW). Our stations above PB, where the maximum bloom is encountered, show no evidence of MCDW presence. In contrast, above MB, where there is a smaller persistent bloom, MCDW was observed. Although both of these stations displayed the imprint of sedimentary Fe input connected to the strong tidal cycles above the banks, the stronger near-bottom density gradient that MCDW produces appears to contribute to reduced vertical mixing of the sedimentary source. Thus, ironically, the presence of MCDW may be hindering the Fe supply to the surface waters, rather than being the source, as originally hypothesized

Pathogenesis and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the Cellular and Molecular Levels

The relative roles of silicon (Si) and iron (Fe) as limiting nutrients in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) were examined in a series of nine microcosm experiments conducted over two years between 110°W and 140°W longitude. Si and Fe additions had consistently different but synergistic effects on macronutrient use, phytoplankton biomass and phytoplankton community structure. Silicon addition increased silicic acid use and biogenic silica production, but had no significant effect on the use of inorganic nitrogen or orthophosphate, chlorophyll accumulation, particulate inorganic (PIC) carbon accumulation, or plankton community composition relative to controls. That result, together with observations that Si addition increased the cellular Si content of the numerically dominant diatom by not, vert, similar50%, indicates that the main effect of Si was to regulate diatom silicification. Like the effect of Si, Fe addition increased the rate of silicic acid use and biogenic silica production and had no effect on PIC production. Unlike the effect of Si, Fe addition also enhanced rates of organic matter production, had no effect on cellular Si content of diatoms, and resulted in the growth of initially rare, large (>40 ?m) diatoms relative to controls, indicating that Fe limitation acts mainly through its effects on growth rate and phytoplankton community composition. A pennate diatom of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia dominated the diatom assemblage in situ, grew readily in the controls and did not show a strong growth response to either Fe or Si addition suggesting that its growth was regulated by other factors such as grazing or light. Addition of germanium, an inhibitor of diatom cell division, eliminated the effects of Fe on macronutrient use, biogenic silica production and chlorophyll accumulation and phytoplankton community composition, consistent with a predominantly diatom response to Fe addition. The lack of a response of PIC production to Fe suggests that coccolithophores were not Fe limited. Addition of Fe and Si together resulted in the greatest levels of nutrient drawdown and biomass accumulation through the effect of Fe in promoting the growth of large diatoms. The results suggest a form of co-limitation with Si regulating diatom silicification and the rate of biogenic silica production while Fe regulates the production of organic matter through limitation of phytoplankton growth rates, in particular those of large diatoms. The results argue against Si regulation of new production in the EEP under average upwelling conditions. Iron addition was necessary and sufficient to stimulate complete removal of nitrate within the equatorial upwelling zone suggesting that new production was restricted by low ambient dissolved Fe consistent with results from in situ Fe fertilization experiments conducted to the south of the equator outside of the equatorial upwelling zone

Natural iron fertilization by the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption

Aerosol deposition from the 2010 eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull resulted in significant dissolved iron (DFe) inputs to the Iceland Basin of the North Atlantic. Unique ship-board measurements indicated strongly enhanced DFe concentrations (up to 10?nM) immediately under the ash plume. Bioassay experiments performed with ash collected at sea under the plume also demonstrated the potential for associated Fe release to stimulate phytoplankton growth and nutrient drawdown. Combining Fe dissolution measurements with modeled ash deposition suggested that the eruption had the potential to increase DFe by >0.2?nM over an area of up to 570,000?km2. Although satellite ocean color data only indicated minor increases in phytoplankton abundance over a relatively constrained area, comparison of in situ nitrate concentrations with historical records suggested that ash deposition may have resulted in enhanced major nutrient drawdown. Our observations thus suggest that the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption resulted in a significant perturbation to the biogeochemistry of the Iceland Basin