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Browsing by Author "Minutolo, Fabrizio Marcelino"

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  • The influence of dissolved inorganic macronutrient concentration and ratio on the elemental stoichiometry of sinking particulate matter and carbon export in the peruvian upwelling system
    Publication . Minutolo, Fabrizio Marcelino; Barbosa, Ana; Riebesell, Ulf; Bach, Lennart
    Peruvian coastal waters are influenced by strong coastal upwelling events and an intense oxygen minimum zone, where large amounts of fixed nitrogen can be lost. In order to investigate some of the effects this oxygen minimum zone may have on these coastal waters, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of dissolved inorganic macronutrient concentration and ratio on the elemental stoichiometry of sinking particulate matter and carbon export. At the beginning of February 2017, eight mesocosms were deployed in coastal waters near Lima, Peru. 4 mesocosms were enriched with an OMZ derived water mass with a dissolved inorganic N:P ratio of 0.11, while the other 4 were enriched with OMZ water of N:P = 1.71. The amount of utilized reactive nitrogen was not associated to differences in carbon export rates, but the results of one individual mesocosm hint at stronger carbon export at low primary production. Furthermore, sinking particulate matter and its elemental stoichiometry did not show differences between treatments. However, our results showed clear deviations from the canonical Redfield ratio in sinking POM, hypothesized to be related with phytoplankton community composition.
    2017-12-12Master thesis Open access Show more