Transport of trace metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cd) in the western Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin) in late summer 2012

Distributions of trace metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cd) in the western Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin) in September 2012 were investigated to elucidate the mechanisms behind the transport of these metals from the Chukchi Shelf to the Canada Basin. Filtered (<0.22 μm) and unfiltered seawater samples were analyzed to determine dissolved (D) and total dissolvable (TD) trace metal concentrations, respectively. We identified maxima in vertical profiles for the concentrations of D-Fe and TD-Fe, as well as for the other four analyzed trace metals, which occurred in the halocline and/or near-bottom waters. Concentration profiles of all trace metals except for Cd also tended to show peaks near the surface, which suggest that the inflow of low-salinity Pacific-origin water from the Bering Strait, as well as local fresh water inputs such as river water and melting sea-ice, influenced trace metal concentrations. The distribution patterns and concentration ranges were generally similar between the D and TD fractions for Ni, Zn and Cd, which indicate that Ni, Zn and Cd were present mainly in their dissolved forms, whereas the concentrations of TD-Fe and TD-Mn were generally higher than those of D-Fe and D-Mn, respectively. These results are consistent with the results of previous studies of this region. For both Fe and Mn, labile particulate (LP) concentrations (the difference between the TD and D fractions, which is acid-leachable fraction in the particles during storage at pH 1.5?1.6) were highest in the near-bottom waters of the Chukchi Shelf region. The relationships between the distance from the shelf break and the concentrations of trace metals revealed that Fe and Mn concentrations in halocline waters tended to decrease logarithmically with distance, whereas changes in the concentrations of Ni, Zn, Cd and phosphate with distance were small. These results suggest that the distributions of Fe and Mn were controlled mainly by input from shelf sediment and removal through scavenging processes. Based on the phase distributions of Fe and Mn, which were calculated as ratios between the LP and D fractions, different behaviors between Fe and Mn were expressed during lateral transportation. The concentration of TD-Fe declined rapidly via removal of LP-Fe from the water column, whereas the concentration of TD-Mn declined more slowly through the transformation of D-Mn into LP-Mn. In contrast, the concentrations of D-Cd, D-Zn and D-Ni were more strongly correlated with phosphate levels, which suggest that, like phosphate, the distributions of Cd, Zn and Ni were generally controlled by the internal biogeochemical cycles of the ocean interior. Based on the findings of studies that have previously evaluated the concentration maxima of Ni, Zn and Cd within the halocline layer in the Canada Basin near the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the elevated Ni, Zn and Cd concentrations in the halocline layer may extend across the Canada Basin from the Chukchi Sea shelf-break area. The determination coefficients for correlations with phosphate concentration varied between the concentrations of Ni, Zn and Cd, which suggest that the sources of these trace metals, such as sediments and sea-ice melting, affected their patterns of distributions differently. Our findings reveal the importance and impact of the halocline layer for the transport of trace metals in the western Arctic Ocean during the late summer. The existence of rich and various sources likely sustained the high concentrations of trace metals and their unique profiles in this region

Change in the elemental composition and cell geometry of the marine diatom Attheya longicornis under nitrogen- and iron-depleted conditions

The morphology of the siliceous cell wall (frustule) is fundamental to the identification of diatom species. One of the fundamental questions is the ecophysiological role of the diatom frustule, which often shows morphological plasticity under different growth conditions. In this study, the morphology and elemental composition of the diatom Attheya longicornis were investigated under nutrient-replete (control), iron-depleted and nitrogen-depleted conditions. This cylindrical, unicellular species has four siliceous horns per cell. The horns are each formed from a hoop-like structure with a supporting rod, which greatly increases the surface area (SA) of the cell. Under the iron-depleted conditions, relative to the controls, the SA to cell volume ratio, silicon cell quota and siliceous horn length increased 2.3-, 2.3- and 1.4-fold, respectively. Under the nitrogen-depleted conditions, the cell size decreased without an increase in horn length, and the cellular biogenic silica (BSi) content was the highest between the three growth media. The change in cell geometry and elemental composition modified the sinking behaviour of A. longicornis. Estimated sinking rate was fastest in the nitrogen-depleted cells, followed by the controls and iron-depleted cells. The data suggest that the biogeochemical processes of BSi could show vertically opposite direction depending on the growth-limiting factors through a change in the elemental composition and cell morphology of diatoms. Such plastic responses to nitrogen and iron depletion may contribute to the relatively wide distribution of this species from the coastal to open ocean in the subarctic region

Resting spore formation in the marine diatom Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii under iron- and nitrogen-limited conditions

Resting spore formation was investigated in the neritic and oceanic strains of Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii under iron- and nitrate-depleted conditions at 5°C and 10°C. Both strains immediately formed resting spores under nitrate-depleted conditions with almost 100% composition after 4–8 and 3–6 d cultivation periods at 5°C and at 10°C, respectively. However, resting spore formation in both strains under iron-depleted conditions increased with incubation time more gradually, and after 15 d of cultivation, spore composition ranged from 60% in the neritic strain at 5°C to 1% in the oceanic strain at 10°C. In addition, chlorotic cells with smaller cell volume compared with vegetative cells were observed under iron-depleted conditions. Sinking rates of vegetative cells, iron-limited cells and spores and nitrate-limited resting spores cultivated at 5°C were 1.24 ± 0.14, 3.41 ± 0.43 and 9.22 ± 1.04 m d−1, respectively, slightly faster than those at 10°C. The faster sinking rates in iron-limited resting cells and resting spores than in vegetative cells may prevent their habitat from expanding to high-nitrate low-chlorophyll oceanic regions with low iron concentrations

Effect of natural organic-Fe(III) complex on iron uptake and growth of a brown alga Laminaria religiosa Miyabe

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Increase in Si:N drawdown ratio due to resting spore formation by spring bloom-forming diatoms under Fe- and N-limited conditions in the Oyashio region

Resting spore formation and Si:N drawdown ratios were investigated under iron (Fe)- and nitrogen (N)-limited conditions using a unialgal culture of Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii and natural phytoplankton assemblages during the spring bloom in the Oyashio region. In the unialgal culture of T nordenskioeldii, 20% and 100% of the cells formed resting spores under Fe- and N-limited conditions, respectively. The Si:N drawdown ratios were 2- and 14-fold higher in Fe- and N-limited conditions, respectively, compared to Fe- and N-sufficient conditions. At the start of the natural phytoplankton incubation, 18 among 47 identified diatom species were known resting spore-forming species. Approximately 15 common diatom species formed resting spores under Fe- and N-limited conditions. During the natural phytoplankton incubation, the percentage of the resting spores increased with time under both Fe- and N-limited conditions, reaching 25% and 40% of total diatom abundance, respectively. The Si: N drawdown ratios significantly increased with an increase in the contribution of resting spores in both the unialgal culture and natural phytoplankton incubations. These results suggest that if the bloom dominated by neritic, resting spore-forming diatom species decline by either Fe- or N-depletion, Si may be utilized preferentially to N in the upper mixed layer due to the formation of heavily silicified resting spores

Iron and humic-type fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin of the western Arctic Ocean

The concentrations of dissolved Fe ([D-Fe]), total dissolvable Fe ([T-Fe]), humic-type fluorescence intensity (humic F intensity) as humic-type fluorescent dissolved organic matter, and nutrients were vertically determined in the shelf, slope, and basin regions (Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin) of the western Arctic Ocean during 1-27 September 2008. In all stations, the remarkably high [D-Fe] and humic F intensity were found at depths between 25 and 200 m with the subsurface maxima of [D-Fe] (1.0-3.2 nM) and humic F intensity (4-5 quinine sulfate units) in the upper halocline layer (upper HL), being associated with a prominent nutrient maximum. The high [D-Fe] and humic F intensity within the upper HL are probably attributed to the Fe(III) complexation with natural organic ligands, such as marine dissolved humic substances, resulting from main processes of the brine rejection during sea ice formation and interactions with sediments on the shelves. However, subsurface maxima (10-50 nM) of [T-Fe] were found in the lower halocline layer, beneath the upper HL, of all slope and basin regions and are mainly attributed to the resuspension of sedimentary particles in the shelf region. The finding of subsurface iron maxima in the halocline water of all regions may be the first confirmation for the lateral iron transport into the halocline layer from the shelves to the Arctic Basin

Accumulation of humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the Japan Sea

Major fraction of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is biologically recalcitrant, however, the accumulation mechanism of recalcitrant DOM has not been fully understood. Here, we examine the distributions of humic-like fluorescent DOM, factions of recalcitrant DOM, and the level of apparent oxygen utilization in the Japan Sea. We find linear relationships between these parameters for the deep water (>200 m) of the Japan Sea, suggesting that fluorescent DOM is produced in situ in the Japan Sea. Furthermore, we find that the amount of fluorescent DOM at a given apparent oxygen utilization is greater in the deep water of the Japan Sea than it is in the North Pacific, where the highest level of fluorescent DOM in the open ocean was previously observed. We conclude that the repeated renewal of the deep water contributes to the accumulation of fluorescent DOM in the interior of the Japan Sea