A global ocean dissolved organic phosphorus concentration database (DOPv2021).

Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) concentration distributions in the global surface ocean inform our understanding of marine biogeochemical processes such as nitrogen fixation and primary production. The spatial distribution of DOP concentrations in the surface ocean reflect production by primary producers and consumption as an organic nutrient by phytoplankton including diazotrophs and other microbes, as well as other loss processes such as photolysis. Compared to dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, however, relatively few marine DOP concentration measurements have been made, largely due to the lack of automated analysis techniques.

Nanomolar phosphate supply and its recycling drive net community production in the subtropical North Pacific.

Seasonal drawdown of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the subtropical upper ocean makes a significant contribution to net community production (NCP) globally. Although NCP requires macronutrient supply, surface macronutrients are chronically depleted, and their supply has been unable to balance the NCP demand. Here, we report nanomolar increases in surface nitrate plus nitrite (N+N, ~20 nM) and phosphate (PO, ~15 nM) from summer to winter in the western subtropical North Pacific.

Longitudinal and Vertical Variations of Dissolved Labile Phosphoric Monoesters and Diesters in the Subtropical North Pacific.

The labile fraction of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) - predominantly consisting of phosphoric esters - is an important microbial P source in the subtropical oligotrophic ocean. However, unlike phosphate, knowledge for labile DOP is still limited due to the scarcity of broad and intensive observations. In this study, we examined the concentrations and size-fractionated hydrolysis rates of labile phosphoric monoesters and diesters along a >10,000 km longitudinal transect in the North Pacific (23°N; upper 200-m layer).

Automated colorimetric determination of nanomolar urea in seawater by gas-segmented continuous flow analysis using a liquid waveguide capillary cell.

A sensitive automated colorimetric method for the determination of nanomolar concentration of urea in seawater is presented. The colorimetry was based on the diacetyl monoxime method and the automated system was constructed by a gas-segmented continuous flow analyzer equipped with a 100 cm path length of liquid waveguide capillary cell. The most suitable surfactant for the system was hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium-bromide as compared to Brij-35, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and Triton X-100.

Biogeochemical controls of surface ocean phosphate.

Surface ocean phosphate is commonly below the standard analytical detection limits, leading to an incomplete picture of the global variation and biogeochemical role of phosphate. A global compilation of phosphate measured using high-sensitivity methods revealed several previously unrecognized low-phosphate areas and clear regional differences. Both observational climatologies and Earth system models (ESMs) systematically overestimated surface phosphate.

Possible association of diazotrophs with marine zooplankton in the Pacific Ocean.

Dinitrogen fixation, the biological reduction in N gas to ammonia contributes to the supply of new nitrogen in the surface ocean. To understand the diversity and abundance of potentially diazotrophic (N fixing) microorganisms associated with marine zooplankton, especially copepods, the nifH gene was studied using zooplankton samples collected in the Pacific Ocean. In total, 257 nifH sequences were recovered from 23 nifH-positive DNA extracts out of 90 copepod samples.

Sensitive determination of total particulate phosphorus and particulate inorganic phosphorus in seawater using liquid waveguide spectrophotometry.

Determining the total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and particulate inorganic phosphorus (PIP) in oligotrophic oceanic water generally requires the filtration of a large amount of water sample. This paper describes methods that require small filtration volumes for determining the TPP and PIP concentrations. The methods were devised by validating or improving conventional sample processing and by applying highly sensitive liquid waveguide spectrophotometry to the measurements of oxidized or acid-extracted phosphate from TPP and PIP, respectively.

Nitrification and its influence on biogeochemical cycles from the equatorial Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

We examined nitrification in the euphotic zone, its impact on the nitrogen cycles, and the controlling factors along a 7500 km transect from the equatorial Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. Ammonia oxidation occurred in the euphotic zone at most of the stations. The gene and transcript abundances for ammonia oxidation indicated that the shallow clade archaea were the major ammonia oxidizers throughout the study regions.

Liquid waveguide spectrophotometric measurement of nanomolar ammonium in seawater based on the indophenol reaction with o-phenylphenol (OPP).

We describe a highly sensitive colorimetric method for the determination of nanomolar concentrations of ammonium in seawater based on the indophenol reaction with o-phenylphenol [(1,1'-biphenyl)-2-ol, abbreviated as OPP]. OPP is available as non-toxic, stable flaky crystals with no caustic odor and has some advantages over phenol in practical use. The method was established by using a gas-segmented continuous flow analyzer equipped with two types of long path liquid waveguide capillary cell, LWCCs (100 cm and 200 cm) and an UltraPath (200 cm), which have inner diameters of 0.

Dissolved phosphorus pools and alkaline phosphatase activity in the euphotic zone of the Western north pacific ocean.

We measured pools of dissolved phosphorus (P), including dissolved inorganic P (DIP), dissolved organic P (DOP) and alkaline phosphatase (AP)-hydrolyzable labile DOP (L-DOP), and kinetic parameters of AP activity (APA) in the euphotic zone in the western North Pacific Ocean. Samples were collected from one coastal station in Sagami Bay, Japan, and three offshore stations between the North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG) and the Kuroshio region. Although DIP concentrations in the euphotic zone at all stations were equally low, around the nominal method detection limit of 20 nmol L(-1), chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations were one order of magnitude greater at the coastal station.