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Potential cobalt limitation of vitamin B 12 synthesis in the North Atlantic Ocean
Author(s) -
Panzeca C.,
Beck A. J.,
Leblanc K.,
Taylor G. T.,
Hutchins D. A.,
SañudoWilhelmy S. A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2007gb003124
Subject(s) - vitamin b , trace metal , chemistry , cobalt , environmental chemistry , productivity , biomass (ecology) , dissolved organic carbon , oceanography , vitamin , environmental science , ecology , metal , biology , biochemistry , geology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , economics , macroeconomics
While recent studies have confirmed the ecological importance of vitamin B 12 , it is unclear whether the production of this vitamin could be limited by dissolved Co, a trace metal required for B 12 biosynthesis, but found at only subnanomolar concentrations in the open ocean. Herein, we demonstrate that the spatial distribution of dissolved B 12 (range: 0.13–5 pmol L −1 ) in the North Atlantic Ocean follows the abundance of total dissolved Co (range: 15–81 pmol L −1 ). Similar patterns were observed for bacterial productivity (range: 20–103 pmol 3 H leucine L −1 hr −1 ) and algal biomass (range: 0.4–3.9 μ g L −1 ). In contrast, vitamin B 1 concentrations (range: 0.7–30 pM) were decoupled from both Co and B 12 concentrations. Cobalt amendment experiments carried out in low‐dissolved Co waters (∼20 pmol L −1 ) enhanced B 12 production two‐fold over unamended controls. This study provides evidence that B 12 synthesis could be limited by the availability of Co in some regions of the world ocean.