Nitrogen Fixation in Benthic Microalgal Mats: an important, internal source of "new" nitrogen to benthic communities in Florida Bay

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dc.contributor.advisorCornwell, Jeffrey Cen_US
dc.contributor.authorNagel, Eric Daleen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMarine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciencesen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2005-02-02T06:43:44Z
dc.date.available2005-02-02T06:43:44Z
dc.date.issued2004-11-30en_US
dc.description.abstractThe introduction of "new" nitrogen via nitrogen fixation may have a significant effect on nitrogen availability in estuaries and other partially enclosed aquatic systems. This thesis examines rates of nitrogen fixation associated with benthic microalgal communities in Florida Bay to determine the relative importance of this source as compared to external loads of nitrogen to the system. Nitrogen fixation was measured using a number of experimental techniques to calibrate the use of the acetylene reduction assay and to determine the suitability of the N2:Ar comparison technique for measuring rates of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation was found to be mediated by benthic microalgae at the surface of the sediments in Florida Bay and higher rates of fixation were measured in areas dominated by benthic microalgal mats. Nitrogen fixation was highest in the relatively phosphorus-rich western basins and was stimulated by experimental phosphorus additions, suggesting that nitrogen fixation is partially phosphorus-limited.en_US
dc.format.extent1797296 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2092
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledEnvironmental Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledBiogeochemistryen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledBiology, Oceanographyen_US
dc.titleNitrogen Fixation in Benthic Microalgal Mats: an important, internal source of "new" nitrogen to benthic communities in Florida Bayen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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