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Marine phytoplankton utilize a large number of trace metals in their metabolic systems, and the availability of these trace nutrients can shape the amount and type of phytoplankton species in pristine ocean waters. It now is recognized that iron (Fe) limits phytoplankton production in the Subarctic Pacific, Equatorial Pacific and Southern Oceans, and it is believed that changes in Fe supply during the geologic past has resulted in climate change. We study the chemistry of Fe and other metals in seawater, and how changes in this chemistry affect the ability of different groups of phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria to acquire the metals they need to grow quickly. |
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