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| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
iScience
2026
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| Online Access: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42111191/ |
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Table of Contents:
- Glacial rock flour enhances phytoplankton growth in phosphorous- and trace metal-depleted environments. Bendtsen, Jørgen Larsen, Kristina Vallentin Daugbjerg, Niels Glacial rock flour (GRF) is a fine-grained clay to silt-sized material formed beneath glaciers where bedrock is abraded to fine powder. GRF in meltwater rivers constitutes a major source of continental material to the ocean. Here, we investigate the bioavailability of minerals in GRF and show that GRF increases the biological productivity in incubation experiments with an Arctic green alga, . Essential trace metals such as iron and manganese and the macronutrient phosphorus were biologically available from GRF within 3-6 days. In particular, mobilization of iron supplied the exponential growth of microalgal cells as efficiently as from an iron-replete growth medium, whereas growth rates in iron-depleted treatments without GRF were reduced by more than 60%. Hence, GRF stimulates phytoplankton growth and, therefore, constitutes an important nutrient and trace metal source in polar and subpolar coastal areas.