Abstract
The diazotrophic metabolism that allows Trichodesmium to thrive in nitrogen-poor oligotrophic oceans relies on many iron-containing enzymes and proteins. The iron dependent processes in Trichodesmium and the theoretical amount of iron required for these processes are comparable to the measured iron content of colonies from the open ocean. The high iron requirement of these species is problematic in light of the limited iron delivery to open ocean systems. Trichodesmium can take up soluble forms of iron and has unique mechanisms that may allow it to use iron contained in dust particles. Their ability to add new nitrogen through nitrogen fixation and their potential for increasing the amount of biologically available iron make Trichodesmium crucial organisms in the geochemistry of tropical and sub-tropical oceans.
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Rueter, J.G., Hutchins, D.A., Smith, R.W., Unsworth, N.L. (1992). Iron nutrition of Trichodesmium . In: Carpenter, E.J., Capone, D.G., Rueter, J.G. (eds) Marine Pelagic Cyanobacteria: Trichodesmium and other Diazotrophs. NATO ASI Series, vol 362. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7977-3_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7977-3_19
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