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Nature of Phosphorus Limitation in the Ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean
T. F. Thingstad,1*M. D. Krom,2R. F. C. Mantoura,3,4G. A. F. Flaten,1S. Groom,3B. Herut,5N. Kress,5C. S. Law,3,6A. Pasternak,7P. Pitta,8S. Psarra,8F. Rassoulzadegan,9T. Tanaka,1,9A. Tselepides,8P. Wassmann,7E. M. S. Woodward,3C. Wexels Riser,7G. Zodiatis,10T. Zohary11
Phosphate addition to surface waters of the ultraoligotrophic,phosphorus-starved eastern Mediterranean in a Lagrangian experimentcaused unexpected ecosystem responses. The system exhibiteda decline in chlorophyll and an increase in bacterial productionand copepod egg abundance. Although nitrogen and phosphoruscolimitation hindered phytoplankton growth, phosphorous mayhave been transferred through the microbial food web to copepodsvia two, not mutually exclusive, pathways: (i) bypass of thephytoplankton compartment by phosphorus uptake in heterotrophicbacteria and (ii) tunnelling, whereby phosphate luxury consumptionrapidly shifts the stoichiometric composition of copepod prey.Copepods may thus be coupled to lower trophic levels throughinteractions not usually considered.
1 Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 2 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Earth and Biosphere Institute, Leeds University, Leeds, UK. 3 Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK. 4 Marine Environment Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco. 5 Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), National Institute of Oceanography, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, Israel. 6 National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand. 7 Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. 8 Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. 9 Station Zoologique, Villefranche-sur-mer, France. 10 Oceanography Centre, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. 11 IOLR, Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Tiberias, Israel.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: frede.thingstad{at}bio.uib.no
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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Comment on "Nature of Phosphorus Limitation in the Ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean".
Response to Comment on "Nature of Phosphorus Limitation in the Ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean".
T. F. Thingstad, C. S. Law, M. D. Krom, R. F. C. Mantoura, P. Pitta, S. Psarra, F. Rassoulzadegan, T. Tanaka, P. Wassmann, C. W. Riser, et al. (2006)
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