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INT-02 Marine Nitrogen Cycle
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Potential link between N2 fixation and zooplankton 15N based preliminary results in the South China Sea
Zhang Run* , Xiamen University Ning Jianghao, Xiamen University Zheng Lianming, Xiamen University He Haoyang, Xiamen University Jing Hongmei, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
N2 fixation is a major source of new N in the oligotrophic subtropical sea areas, fueling the upper ocean ecosytem and regulating the oceanic sequestration of atmospheric CO2. On the other hand, zooplankton plays a non-negeligible role in the ecosystem dynamics. Nevertheless, the potential link between N2 fixation and zooplankton in the ocean has rarely been examined and yet clear to date. Here we will present preliminary results focusing on the potential relationship based on nitrogen isotope (15N) in the northern South China Sea. We did not find direct evidence that zooplankton (copepod) acts as a loci for N2 fixation, although more evidence is in needed covering a wider spatial range. Interestingly, our results also show that diazotrophic derived nitrogen (DDN) may be somewhat effectively transferred to zooplankton, implying that zooplankton do play an important role in ecosystem N dynamics.
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