Carbon marine ecosystems

In seawater, the major chemical species of copper are Cu(OH)Cl and Cu(OH)2 and these account for about 65% of the total copper in seawater (Boyle 1979). The levels of copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) increase from about 18% of the total copper at pH 7.0 to 90% at pH 8.6 copper carbonate (CuC03) dropped from 30% at pH 7.0 to less than 0.1% at pH 8.6 (USEPA 1980). The dominant copper species in seawater over the entire ambient pH range are copper hydroxide, copper carbonate, and cupric ion (USEPA 1980). Bioavailability and toxicity of copper in marine ecosystems is promoted by oxine and other lipid soluble synthetic organic chelators (Bryan and Langston 1992). 

Measurement of trace metal concentrations can provide fundamental insights into marine geochemical processes. Many metals are important micronutrients in seawater and can play a significant role in upper ocean biogeochemistry and carbon cycling. Under certain conditions, elevated concentrations of metals associated with human activities can have negative impacts on marine ecosystems. 

Due to the paucity of reports, we can only speculate on the importance of marine fungi in biogeochemical cycling. Also, because of the dependence of fungi on carbon, it can be expected that their abundance will be determined mostly by the availability of carbon, which increases from the open oceans to coastal seas, to coastal and estuarine ecosystems, such as salt marshes. No doubt partly due to their relative accessibility, salt marshes are the most studied marine ecosystems in relation to fungi. 

Minor element contents and isotopic ratios are used for physiological purposes. Sr/Ca ratios in bone and teeth are said to reflect the diet of the animal (herbivores versus carnivores). Stable isotope analysis of teeth and bones provides direct information on the lifetime diets the nitrogen isotopes reflect the trophic level of the protein that has been consumed. Within an ecosystem, they can identify herbivores and carnivores, while the carbon isotopes tell mainly about the amount of protein in the diets from terrestrial versus marine ecosystems. 

Mopper, K., and Kieber, D. J. (2000). Marine photochemistry and its impact on carbon cycling. In Effects of UV Radiation on Marine Ecosystems. Chapter 4 (Demers, S., de Mora, S., Vemet, M. eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 101-129. 

Marino, 2006 NRC, 1993, 2000). At the national scale, policy makers and water-quality managers often did not consider or accept the evidence for nitrogen control of eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems, in part because of the political legacy left from heated debates in the 1960s and 1970s over whether phosphorus or carbon caused eutrophication in lakes (Howarth and Marino, 2006 NRC, 2000). Some... 

Kirchman, D. L., Meon, B., Cottrell, M., Hutchins, D. A., Weeks, D., and Bruland, K. W. (2000). Carbon versus iron limitation of bacterial growth in a coastal marine ecosystem. Limnol. Oceanogr. 45, 1681-1688. 

The factors that influence the flux of energy through aerobic-anaerobic interface ecosystems have been the focus of this review chapter. Here we consider the net effect of these influences on carbon metabolism in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Thamdrup (2000) recently compiled studies that reported the relative contributions of O2 reduction, Fe(III) reduction, and SO4 reduction to carbon metabolism in marine ecosystems (n = 16). On average, the dominant pathway was SO4 reduction (62 17%, X SD). Aerobic respiration and Fe(III) respiration contributed equally to carbon metabolism (18 10% and 17 15%, respectively). Compared to previous compilations, —50% of the amount... 

Lancelot, C. and Billen, G. (1985) Carbon—nitrogen relationships in nutrient metabolism of coastal marine ecosystems. Advances in Aquatic Microbiology, 3, 263—321. 

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