Abstract
THE view has been increasingly accepted, since first put forth by Nathansohn1, that the fertility of the sea depends upon the restoration to the surface of plant nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates liberated by the decomposition of organic matter within its depths. In shallow coastal waters the turbulence due to wind and tide, aided in high latitudes by the instability resulting from cooling in winter, suffice to maintain this part of the nutritional cycle. In the deep sea, organic matter generated in the surface as the result of photosynthetic processes appears in large part to sink to great depths before being finally oxidized to its ultimate inorganic products. This is evidenced by the increasing concentration of nitrate and phosphate (and decreasing quantity of oxygen) which is observed until depths of 800–1,000 metres are reached.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
A. Nathansohn, Abhand. Konigl. sachs Gesel. der Wissensch. Leipsig, 39, 3 (1906).
C. W. Correns, A. Defant, F. Gessner, W. Stahlberg, V. Schubert, H. Wattenberg and B. Wüst, ” Tiefseebuch” (Berlin, 1934).
C. G. Rossby, ” Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology”, 5, No. 1 (1936).
H. R. Seiwell, ” Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology”, 3, No. 1 (1934). ibid., 3, No. 4.
H. B. Bigelow, ” Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology”, 2, No. 4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
REDFIELD, A. An Ecological Aspect of the Gulf Stream. Nature 138, 1013 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/1381013a0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1381013a0
This article is cited by
-
An estimate of diapycnal nutrient fluxes to the euphotic zone in the Florida Straits
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
Storms bring ocean nutrients to light
Nature (2015)
-
The North Atlantic nutrient stream
Journal of Oceanography (1996)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.