Abstract
The carbon isotopic fractionation accompanying formation of biomass by alkenone-producing algae in natural marine environments varies systematically with the concentration of dissolved phosphate. Specifically, if the fractionation is expressed by ε≈ δ e - δ p, where δ e, and δ p are the δ 13C values for dissolved CO 2 and for algal biomass (determined by isotopic analysis of C 37 alkadienones), respectively, and if C e is the concentration of dissolved CO 2, μmol kg -1, then b = 38 +160*[PO 4], where [PO 4] is the concentration of dissolved phosphate, μM, and b = (25 - ε P)C ε. The correlation found between b and [PO 4] is due to effects linking nutrient levels to growth rates and cellular carbon budgets for alkenone-containing algae, most likely by trace-metal limitations on algal growth. The relationship reported here is characteristic of 39 samples (r 2 = 0.95) from the Santa Monica Basin (six different times during the annual cycle), the equatorial Pacific (boreal spring and fall cruises as well as during an iron-enrichment experiment), and the Peru upwelling zone. Points representative of samples from the Sargasso Sea ([PO 4] ≤ 0.1 μM) fall above the b = f[PO 4] line. Analysis of correlations expected between μ(growth rate), ε P, and C e shows that, for our entire data set, most variations in ε p result from variations in μ rather than C e. Accordingly, before concentrations of dissolved CO 2 can be estimated from isotopic fractionations, some means of accounting for variations in growth rate must be found, perhaps by drawing on relationships between [PO 4] and Cd/Ca ratios in shells of planktonic foraminifera.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 279-292 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Global and Planetary Change
- Atmospheric Science
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
Cite this
Consistent fractionation of 13C in nature and in the laboratory : Growth-rate effects in some haptophyte algae. / Bidigare, Robert R.; Fluegge, Amim; Freeman, Katherine H.; Hanson, Kristi L.; Hayes, John M.; Hollander, David; Jasper, John P.; King, Linda L.; Laws, Edward A.; Milder, Jeffrey; Millero, Frank J; Pancost, Richard; Popp, Brian N.; Steinberg, Paul A.; Wakeham, Stuart G.
In: Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 11, No. 2, 1997, p. 279-292.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Consistent fractionation of 13C in nature and in the laboratory
T2 - Growth-rate effects in some haptophyte algae
AU - Bidigare, Robert R.
AU - Fluegge, Amim
AU - Freeman, Katherine H.
AU - Hanson, Kristi L.
AU - Hayes, John M.
AU - Hollander, David
AU - Jasper, John P.
AU - King, Linda L.
AU - Laws, Edward A.
AU - Milder, Jeffrey
AU - Millero, Frank J
AU - Pancost, Richard
AU - Popp, Brian N.
AU - Steinberg, Paul A.
AU - Wakeham, Stuart G.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - The carbon isotopic fractionation accompanying formation of biomass by alkenone-producing algae in natural marine environments varies systematically with the concentration of dissolved phosphate. Specifically, if the fractionation is expressed by ε≈ δ e - δ p, where δ e, and δ p are the δ 13C values for dissolved CO 2 and for algal biomass (determined by isotopic analysis of C 37 alkadienones), respectively, and if C e is the concentration of dissolved CO 2, μmol kg -1, then b = 38 +160*[PO 4], where [PO 4] is the concentration of dissolved phosphate, μM, and b = (25 - ε P)C ε. The correlation found between b and [PO 4] is due to effects linking nutrient levels to growth rates and cellular carbon budgets for alkenone-containing algae, most likely by trace-metal limitations on algal growth. The relationship reported here is characteristic of 39 samples (r 2 = 0.95) from the Santa Monica Basin (six different times during the annual cycle), the equatorial Pacific (boreal spring and fall cruises as well as during an iron-enrichment experiment), and the Peru upwelling zone. Points representative of samples from the Sargasso Sea ([PO 4] ≤ 0.1 μM) fall above the b = f[PO 4] line. Analysis of correlations expected between μ(growth rate), ε P, and C e shows that, for our entire data set, most variations in ε p result from variations in μ rather than C e. Accordingly, before concentrations of dissolved CO 2 can be estimated from isotopic fractionations, some means of accounting for variations in growth rate must be found, perhaps by drawing on relationships between [PO 4] and Cd/Ca ratios in shells of planktonic foraminifera.
AB - The carbon isotopic fractionation accompanying formation of biomass by alkenone-producing algae in natural marine environments varies systematically with the concentration of dissolved phosphate. Specifically, if the fractionation is expressed by ε≈ δ e - δ p, where δ e, and δ p are the δ 13C values for dissolved CO 2 and for algal biomass (determined by isotopic analysis of C 37 alkadienones), respectively, and if C e is the concentration of dissolved CO 2, μmol kg -1, then b = 38 +160*[PO 4], where [PO 4] is the concentration of dissolved phosphate, μM, and b = (25 - ε P)C ε. The correlation found between b and [PO 4] is due to effects linking nutrient levels to growth rates and cellular carbon budgets for alkenone-containing algae, most likely by trace-metal limitations on algal growth. The relationship reported here is characteristic of 39 samples (r 2 = 0.95) from the Santa Monica Basin (six different times during the annual cycle), the equatorial Pacific (boreal spring and fall cruises as well as during an iron-enrichment experiment), and the Peru upwelling zone. Points representative of samples from the Sargasso Sea ([PO 4] ≤ 0.1 μM) fall above the b = f[PO 4] line. Analysis of correlations expected between μ(growth rate), ε P, and C e shows that, for our entire data set, most variations in ε p result from variations in μ rather than C e. Accordingly, before concentrations of dissolved CO 2 can be estimated from isotopic fractionations, some means of accounting for variations in growth rate must be found, perhaps by drawing on relationships between [PO 4] and Cd/Ca ratios in shells of planktonic foraminifera.
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M3 - Article
VL - 11
SP - 279
EP - 292
JO - Global Biogeochemical Cycles
JF - Global Biogeochemical Cycles
SN - 0886-6236
IS - 2
ER -