Phosphorus exchange in marine microplankton communities near Hawaii

Tracer exchange kinetics were consistent with the view that microplankton of waters near Hawaii produced and assimilated dissolved orthophosphate and dissolved compounds other than orthophosphate at roughly equal rates in experiments conducted in September, 1982. Using simple exchange models plus chemical measurements, we inferred that material other than orthophosphate could sometimes dominate the soluble molybdate-reactive pool (SRP), as is frequently the case in fresh waters. Where phosphorus exchange was most rapid, the tracer kinetics suggested that some fraction of the plankton community was disproportionately responsible for dissolved phophorus exchange. Comparisons against independent measurements of rapid phytoplankton turnover in these communities supported the conclusion that dissolved compounds other than orthophosphate were rapidly cycled and formed an important substrate for plankton growth.