N<sub>2</sub> fixation rate and diazotroph community structure in the western tropical North Pacific Ocean

Zhang Run; Zhang Dongsheng; Chen Min; Jiang Zhibing; Wang Chunsheng; Zheng Minfang; Qiu Yusheng; Huang Jie

doi:10.1007/s13131-019-1513-4

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2019 > 38(12): 26-34

Zhang Run, Zhang Dongsheng, Chen Min, Jiang Zhibing, Wang Chunsheng, Zheng Minfang, Qiu Yusheng, Huang Jie. N2 fixation rate and diazotroph community structure in the western tropical North Pacific Ocean[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(12): 26-34. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1513-4

Citation:

Zhang Run, Zhang Dongsheng, Chen Min, Jiang Zhibing, Wang Chunsheng, Zheng Minfang, Qiu Yusheng, Huang Jie. N₂ fixation rate and diazotroph community structure in the western tropical North Pacific Ocean[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(12): 26-34. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1513-4

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N₂ fixation rate and diazotroph community structure in the western tropical North Pacific Ocean

doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1513-4

1.
College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry, State Oceanic Administration/Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou 310012, China
3.
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling/Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Received Date: 2018-12-28

Abstract

Abstract

In the present study, we report N₂ fixation rate (¹⁵N isotope tracer assay) and the diazotroph community structure (using the molecular method) in the western tropical North Pacific Ocean (WTNP) (13°–20°N, 120°–160°E). Our independent evidence on the basis of both in situ N₂ fixation activity and diazotroph community structure showed the dominance of unicellular N₂ fixation over majority of the WTNP surface waters during the sampling periods. Moreover, a shift in the diazotrophic composition from unicellular cyanobacteria group B-dominated to Trichodesmium spp.-dominated toward the western boundary current (Kuroshio) was also observed in 2013. We hypothesize that nutrient availability may have played a major role in regulating the biogeography of N₂ fixation. In surface waters, volumetric N₂ fixation rate (calculated by nitrogen) ranged between 0.6 and 2.6 nmol/(L·d) and averaged (1.2±0.5) nmol/(L·d), with < 10 μm size fraction contributed predominantly (88%±6%) to the total rate between 135°E and 160°E. Depth-integrated N₂ fixation rate over the upper 200 m ranged between 150 μmol/(m²·d) and 480 μmol/(m²·d) (average (225±105) μmol/(m²·d). N₂ fixation can account for 6.2%±3.7% of the depth-integrated primary production, suggesting that N₂ fixation is a significant N source sustaining new and export production in the WTNP. The role of N₂ fixation in biogeochemical cycling in this climate change-vulnerable region calls for further investigations.
- western tropical North Pacific Ocean (WTNP),
- N₂ fixation,
- ¹⁵N isotope tracer assay,
- unicellular diazotroph

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