_version_ 1867169033016573952
author Goldhammer, Tobias
Brüchert, Volker
Ferdelman, Timothy G
Zabel, Matthias
author_facet Goldhammer, Tobias
Brüchert, Volker
Ferdelman, Timothy G
Zabel, Matthias
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for life. In the ocean, phosphorus burial regulates marine primary production**1, 2. Phosphorus is removed from the ocean by sedimentation of organic matter, and the subsequent conversion of organic phosphorus to phosphate minerals such as apatite, and ultimately phosphorite deposits**3, 4. Bacteria are thought to mediate these processes**5, but the mechanism of sequestration has remained unclear. Here, we present results from laboratory incubations in which we labelled organic-rich sediments from the Benguela upwelling system, Namibia, with a 33P-radiotracer, and tracked the fate of the phosphorus. We show that under both anoxic and oxic conditions, large sulphide-oxidizing bacteria accumulate 33P in their cells, and catalyse the nearly instantaneous conversion of phosphate to apatite. Apatite formation was greatest under anoxic conditions. Nutrient analyses of Namibian upwelling waters and sediments suggest that the rate of phosphate-to-apatite conversion beneath anoxic bottom waters exceeds the rate of phosphorus release during organic matter mineralization in the upper sediment layers. We suggest that bacterial apatite formation is a significant phosphorus sink under anoxic bottom-water conditions. Expanding oxygen minimum zones are projected in simulations of future climate change**6, potentially increasing sequestration of marine phosphate, and restricting marine productivity.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_746020
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2010
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle (Figure 1 and 2) Phosphorus pools in the investigated sediments quantified by SEDEX sequential extraction and distribution of recovered 33P spike between sedimentary P pools after incubation
Goldhammer, Tobias
Brüchert, Volker
Ferdelman, Timothy G
Zabel, Matthias
Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; Comment; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Elevation of event; Event label; Latitude of event; Liquid scintillation; Longitude of event; M76/2; M76/2_223; M76/2_231; MARUM; Meteor (1986); MUC; MultiCorer; Namibia upwelling, Southeast Atlantic; Phosphorus, inorganic; Phosphorus, inorganic, activity; Sequential leaching technique
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for life. In the ocean, phosphorus burial regulates marine primary production**1, 2. Phosphorus is removed from the ocean by sedimentation of organic matter, and the subsequent conversion of organic phosphorus to phosphate minerals such as apatite, and ultimately phosphorite deposits**3, 4. Bacteria are thought to mediate these processes**5, but the mechanism of sequestration has remained unclear. Here, we present results from laboratory incubations in which we labelled organic-rich sediments from the Benguela upwelling system, Namibia, with a 33P-radiotracer, and tracked the fate of the phosphorus. We show that under both anoxic and oxic conditions, large sulphide-oxidizing bacteria accumulate 33P in their cells, and catalyse the nearly instantaneous conversion of phosphate to apatite. Apatite formation was greatest under anoxic conditions. Nutrient analyses of Namibian upwelling waters and sediments suggest that the rate of phosphate-to-apatite conversion beneath anoxic bottom waters exceeds the rate of phosphorus release during organic matter mineralization in the upper sediment layers. We suggest that bacterial apatite formation is a significant phosphorus sink under anoxic bottom-water conditions. Expanding oxygen minimum zones are projected in simulations of future climate change**6, potentially increasing sequestration of marine phosphate, and restricting marine productivity.
title (Figure 1 and 2) Phosphorus pools in the investigated sediments quantified by SEDEX sequential extraction and distribution of recovered 33P spike between sedimentary P pools after incubation
topic Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; Comment; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Elevation of event; Event label; Latitude of event; Liquid scintillation; Longitude of event; M76/2; M76/2_223; M76/2_231; MARUM; Meteor (1986); MUC; MultiCorer; Namibia upwelling, Southeast Atlantic; Phosphorus, inorganic; Phosphorus, inorganic, activity; Sequential leaching technique
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.746020