Abstract
Particulate organic matter (POM) has a central role in the vertical transport of material in the sea1. In the open ocean, POM is produced in the euphotic layer by phytoplankton and degraded in the aphotic layer during sinking to the sea floor. Isotopic abundance of biophilic elements such as C and N in POM is altered by isotopic fractionations associated with biochemical reactions2. Natural abundances of 13C or 15N thus provide useful information on biochemical behaviour of POM in the sea. We report here the first comprehensive data on the vertical distribution of 15N in suspended POM3 collected at a station in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Also, we discuss how nitrogen isotopic analysis could be used for the identification and quantification of the vertical transport processes.
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Saino, T., Hattori, A. 15N natural abundance in oceanic suspended particulate matter. Nature 283, 752–754 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283752a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/283752a0
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