Overview of Forms, Pools, and Reactions

With 5 relatively stable oxidation states in the marine environment (Fig. 1.2), nitrogen is very distinct from most other nutrient elements. For example, phosphorus, which has the same number of valence electrons, exists in the marine 

The most important biologically mediated reactions are summarized in Table 1.1 together with information about the redox environment these reactions take place in, the organisms that are usually conducting these processes, and what biochemical role these processes play for these organisms. I briefly discuss these reactions, but refer to the following chapters for details (see also Table 1.1). For a discussion of a series of additional reactions (e.g. Oxygen-Limited Autotrophic Nitrification- 

Process Organisms Redox environment Trophic status Biochemical role Chapter 

NO3 assimilation Phytoplankton Aerob Photo-autotrophic Source ofN 7 

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