Comparative assessment of nitrogen fixation rate by <sup>15</sup>N<sub>2</sub> tracer assays in the South China Sea

Danyang Li; Minfang Zheng; Yusheng Qiu; Limin Lai; Nengwang Chen; Hongmei Jing; Run Zhang; Min Chen

doi:10.1007/s13131-022-2092-3

Volume 42 Issue 1

Jan. 2023

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Danyang Li, Minfang Zheng, Yusheng Qiu, Limin Lai, Nengwang Chen, Hongmei Jing, Run Zhang, Min Chen. Comparative assessment of nitrogen fixation rate by 15N2 tracer assays in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2023, 42(1): 75-82. doi: 10.1007/s13131-022-2092-3

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Danyang Li, Minfang Zheng, Yusheng Qiu, Limin Lai, Nengwang Chen, Hongmei Jing, Run Zhang, Min Chen. Comparative assessment of nitrogen fixation rate by ¹⁵N₂ tracer assays in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2023, 42(1): 75-82. doi: 10.1007/s13131-022-2092-3

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Comparative assessment of nitrogen fixation rate by ¹⁵N₂ tracer assays in the South China Sea

doi: 10.1007/s13131-022-2092-3

Danyang Li^{1, 2},
Minfang Zheng¹,
Yusheng Qiu¹,
Limin Lai^{3, 4},
Nengwang Chen^{3, 4},
Hongmei Jing⁵,
Run Zhang^{1
,
,},
Min Chen¹

1.
College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
2.
Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China
3.
College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
4.
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environment Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
5.
Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institutes of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 42076042 and 41721005; the Fund of Ministry of Science and Technology of China under contract No. 2017FY201403; the Fund of China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association under contract No. DY135-13-E2-03.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: zhangrun@xmu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2022-01-13
Accepted Date: 2022-03-18

Available Online: 2023-01-17

Publish Date: 2023-01-25

Abstract

Abstract

Nitrogen fixation is one of the most important sources of new nitrogen in the ocean and thus profoundly affects the nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical processes. The distribution, controlling factors, and flux of N₂ fixation in the global ocean remain uncertain, partly because of the lack of methodological uniformity. The ¹⁵N₂ tracer assay (the original bubble method → the ¹⁵N₂-enriched seawater method → the modified bubble method) is the mainstream method for field measurements of N₂ fixation rates (NFRs), among which the original bubble method is the most frequently used. However, accumulating evidence has suggested an underestimation of NFRs when using this method. To improve the availability of previous data, we compared NFRs measured by three ¹⁵N₂ tracer assays in the South China Sea. Our results indicate that the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the ¹⁵N₂-enriched seawater method varies obviously with area and season, which may be influenced by incubation time, diazotrophic composition, and environmental factors. In comparison, the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the modified bubble method is more stable, indicating that the N₂ fixation rates based on the original bubble methods may be underestimated by approximately 50%. Based on this result, we revised the flux of N₂ fixation in the South China Sea to 40 mmol/(m²·a). Our results improve the availability and comparability of literature NFR data in the South China Sea. The comparison of the ¹⁵N₂ tracer assay for NFRs measurements on a larger scale is urgently necessary over the global ocean for a more robust understanding of the role of N₂ fixation in the marine nitrogen cycle.
- N₂ fixation rate,
- South China Sea,
- ¹⁵N₂ tracer assay

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References(44)

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