Atmospheric Processing of Iron-Bearing Mineral Dust Aerosol and Its Effect on Growth of a Marine Diatom, .

Iron (Fe) is a growth-limiting micronutrient for phytoplankton in major areas of oceans and deposited wind-blown desert dust is a primary Fe source to these regions. Simulated atmospheric processing of four mineral dust proxies and two natural dust samples followed by subsequent growth studies of the marine planktic diatom in artificial sea-water (ASW) demonstrated higher growth response to ilmenite (FeTiO) and hematite (α-FeO) mixed with TiO than hematite alone. The processed dust treatment enhanced diatom growth owing to dissolved Fe (DFe) content.

Magnetovibrio blakemorei gen. nov., sp. nov., a magnetotactic bacterium (Alphaproteobacteria: Rhodospirillaceae) isolated from a salt marsh.

A magnetotactic bacterium, designated strain MV-1(T), was isolated from sulfide-rich sediments in a salt marsh near Boston, MA, USA. Cells of strain MV-1(T) were Gram-negative, and vibrioid to helicoid in morphology. Cells were motile by means of a single polar flagellum.