Correlation Engine 2.0
Clear Search sequence regions


Sizes of these terms reflect their relevance to your search.

An experiment was conducted to examine the fractionation of nitrogen stable isotopes in a continuous culture system containing field collected estuarine phytoplankton and blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. Nitrate and phosphate were added to culture vessels at concentrations above ambient levels and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) were measured in particulate matter (PM) and blue mussels over the course of the 15-day experiment. The added nutrients resulted in large productivity and chlorophyll increases in the system. Study results indicate that rapid and significant nitrogen isotope fractionation can occur during incorporation by phytoplankton grown under conditions of excess dissolved inorganic nitrogen, as shown by δ15N values depleted by as much as 9‰ in PM from the higher nutrient treatments. These lower δ15N values were also reflected in mussels exposed to culture vessels effluents. Therefore, nitrogen concentration needs to be considered when using δ15N values in biota as indicators of anthropogenic nitrogen inputs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Citation

Richard J Pruell, Bryan K Taplin, Autumn J Oczkowski, Jason S Grear, Wilson G Mendoza, Adam R Pimenta, Alana R Hanson, Kenneth M Miller. Nitrogen isotope fractionation in a continuous culture system containing phytoplankton and blue mussels. Marine pollution bulletin. 2020 Jan;150:110745

Expand section icon Mesh Tags

Expand section icon Substances


PMID: 31784266

View Full Text