Ecological control of nitrite in the upper ocean

Emily J. Zakem (), Alia Al-Haj, Matthew J. Church, Gert L. Dijken, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Sarah Q. Foster, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Matthew M. Mills and Michael J. Follows
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Emily J. Zakem: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alia Al-Haj: Boston University
Matthew J. Church: University of Montana
Gert L. Dijken: Stanford University
Stephanie Dutkiewicz: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sarah Q. Foster: Boston University
Robinson W. Fulweiler: Boston University
Matthew M. Mills: Stanford University
Michael J. Follows: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Microorganisms oxidize organic nitrogen to nitrate in a series of steps. Nitrite, an intermediate product, accumulates at the base of the sunlit layer in the subtropical ocean, forming a primary nitrite maximum, but can accumulate throughout the sunlit layer at higher latitudes. We model nitrifying chemoautotrophs in a marine ecosystem and demonstrate that microbial community interactions can explain the nitrite distributions. Our theoretical framework proposes that nitrite can accumulate to a higher concentration than ammonium because of differences in underlying redox chemistry and cell size between ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing chemoautotrophs. Using ocean circulation models, we demonstrate that nitrifying microorganisms are excluded in the sunlit layer when phytoplankton are nitrogen-limited, but thrive at depth when phytoplankton become light-limited, resulting in nitrite accumulation there. However, nitrifying microorganisms may coexist in the sunlit layer when phytoplankton are iron- or light-limited (often in higher latitudes). These results improve understanding of the controls on nitrification, and provide a framework for representing chemoautotrophs and their biogeochemical effects in ocean models.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03553-w

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