Open AccessThe content of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in deep-water biocenoses of coralline algae of the South China sea
Author(s) -
I. I. Cherbadgy,
L. N. Propp
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
okeanologiâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0030-1574
DOI - 10.31857/s0030-1574594569-578
Subject(s) - coralline algae , phosphorus , algae , nitrogen , total organic carbon , organic matter , environmental chemistry , carbon fibers , remineralisation , chemistry , ecology , biology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , fluoride , composite number , composite material
The study on the influence of the depth of habitation on the content of organic carbon (Corg), organic and mineral forms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the biocenosis of coralline algae, was carried out in spring in the South China Sea at depths of 5 to 150 m. It was shown that with an increase in depth to 150 m, the content of Corg in the tissues decreased from 72 to 42 g/m2. The content of N also decreased with depth, but to a lesser extent — from 15 to 10 g/m2, while the content of P increased linearly from 0.75 to 4.29 g/m2. The atomic ratio C/N/P in the biocenosis at depths of 5–10 m does not vary significantly and is on the average 187:31:1, which is comparable to the mean values obtained for mass species of reef-building corals. Unlike organic carbon and nitrogen, the phosphorus content in the algal biocenosis increased with depth more than 5 times. Correspondingly, the C/N/P ratio becomes 24:5:1 at a depth of 150 m. Such depth-dependent increase in the proportion of phosphorus in the biocenosis, with a simultaneous decline in the contents of organic carbon and, to a lesser extent, nitrogen, can be explained by release of phosphorus during destruction of the organic matter in the biocoenosis of coralline algae with the formation of insoluble calcium phosphates.