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Biogeochemical Gradients: Role in Arranging Planktonic Assemblages
(BiG RAPA)


What's New
  • Added Inorganic Nutrient Data
  • Added PC/PN/PP Data
  • Added Flowcytometry Data
  • Added DIC & Alkalinity Data

Overview

Data Links

The South East Pacific (SEP) is characterized by very high nutrient concentrations in the waters adjacent to the Chilean coast, but very low nutrient concentrations (oligotrophic) in the mid- South Pacific Subtropical Gyre (SPSG), near Easter Island. The steep gradient in nutrient concentrations across the region affects the level of marine production, the composition of the microbial community, and the operation of major biogeochemical cycles in ways that are not fully understood. Despite the remarkable diversity of trophic conditions, strong gradients and even some unique singularities, the SEP is still the most sparsely sampled oceanic region of the global ocean from hydrodynamic, biological and biogeochemical points of view. The SPSG is also the most oligotrophic of all sub-tropical gyres.

Previous expeditions and remote sensing studies have describes the nutrient and chlorophyll field, but there have been few simultaneous measurements of chemical properties with microbial community structure and function. This expedition was designed to investigate the impact of elemental nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, silicon, carbon) ratios on marine productivity and microbial community composition.

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