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Spatial variation in N2-fixation rate and diazotroph activity in the Tropical Atlantic
1Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA, USA
2Institut für Ostseeforschung, Warnemünde, Germany
3University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
Abstract. A variety of N2-fixers occur in the tropical Atlantic and these diazotrophs make a substantial contribution to the nitrogen budget of the upper water column. A synthesis of previously published and novel rate measurements for the Tropical North Atlantic provides insight into the role of two different diazotroph groups in supporting N2 fixation in the tropical Atlantic. The overall rate of N2-fixation by the two groups of diazotrophs was similar in the eastern and western parts of the basin, but N2-fixation by \textit{Trichodesmium} was strongly dominant in the western part of the basin while small diazotrophs played a much larger role to the east of 40° W. The reasons for this shift in dominance are unclear, as is the identity of the small organisms fixing N2 in the water column.
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Citation: Montoya, J. P., Voss, M., and Capone, D. G.: Spatial variation in N2-fixation rate and diazotroph activity in the Tropical Atlantic, Biogeosciences Discuss., 3, 1739-1761, 2006. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
