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Science 24 August 2007:
Vol. 317. no. 5841, pp. 1067 - 1070
DOI: 10.1126/science.1144602
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Reports

The Southern Ocean Biological Response to Aeolian Iron Deposition

Nicolas Cassar,1* Michael L. Bender,1 Bruce A. Barnett,1 Songmiao Fan,2 Walter J. Moxim,2 Hiram Levy, II,2 Bronte Tilbrook3

Biogeochemical rate processes in the Southern Ocean have an important impact on the global environment. Here, we summarize an extensive set of published and new data that establishes the pattern of gross primary production and net community production over large areas of the Southern Ocean. We compare these rates with model estimates of dissolved iron that is added to surface waters by aerosols. This comparison shows that net community production, which is comparable to export production, is proportional to modeled input of soluble iron in aerosols. Our results strengthen the evidence that the addition of aerosol iron fertilizes export production in the Southern Ocean. The data also show that aerosol iron input particularly enhances gross primary production over the large area of the Southern Ocean downwind of dry continental areas.

1 Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
2 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Post Office Box 308, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA.
3 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Marine and Atmospheric Research and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem Cooperative Research Center, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ncassar{at}princeton.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Comment on "The Southern Ocean Biological Response to Aeolian Iron Deposition".
P. W. Boyd and D. Mackie (2008)
Science 319, 159a
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Response to Comment on "The Southern Ocean Biological Response to Aeolian Iron Deposition".
N. Cassar, M. L. Bender, B. A. Barnett, S. Fan, W. J. Moxim, H. Levy II, and B. Tilbrook (2008)
Science 319, 159b
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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