Carbon versus iron limitation of bacterial growth in the California upwelling regime

摘要

The importance of iron versus dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in limiting the growth of heterotrophic bacteria is unresolved, even though iron, DOC, and heterotrohic bacteria are recognized to be critical components of oceanic biogeochemical cycles and food web dynamics. We used enrichment experiments to examine the roles of organic carbon and iron in limiting bacterial growth in the California upwelling regime, where phytoplankton can be iron limited depending on the time and location of the upwelling - induced phytoplankton bloom.