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The colonial marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is thought to fix nitrogen on such a scale that it accounts for almost half of the nitrogen fixation in marine systems globally. [52] Marine surface lichens and non-photosynthetic bacteria belonging in Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes fixate significant atmospheric nitrogen. [ 53 ]
2 so it must undergo nitrogen fixation which is performed predominately by cyanobacteria. [41] Without supplies of fixed nitrogen entering the marine cycle, the fixed nitrogen would be used up in about 2000 years. [42] Phytoplankton need nitrogen in biologically available forms for the initial synthesis of organic matter.
Biological productivity (photosynthesis) in marine ecosystems is often limited by the bioavailability of nitrogen. [6]The amount of bioavailable nitrogen (nitrate (NO 3 −), nitrite (NO 2 −), and ammonium (NH 4 +)) depends on the inputs from nitrogen fixation and losses from denitrification and anammox as dinitrogen gas (N 2), a compound only accessible to nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Microorganisms preferentially consume oxygen in nitrate over phosphate leading to deeper oceanic waters having an N:P ratio of less than 16:1. From there, the ocean's currents upwell the nutrients to the surface where phytoplankton will consume the excess Phosphorus and maintain a N:P ratio of 16:1 by consuming N 2 via nitrogen fixation. [9]
Nitrogen enters the ocean through precipitation, runoff, or as N 2 from the atmosphere. Nitrogen cannot be utilized by phytoplankton as N 2 so it must undergo nitrogen fixation which is performed predominantly by cyanobacteria. [82] Without supplies of fixed nitrogen entering the marine cycle, the fixed nitrogen would be used up in about 2000 ...
A nitroplast is an organelle found in certain species of algae, particularly in the marine algae Braarudosphaera bigelowii. [1] It plays a crucial role in nitrogen fixation, a process previously thought to be exclusive to bacteria and archaea.
Trichodesmium is thought to fix nitrogen on such a scale that it accounts for almost half of the nitrogen fixation in marine systems globally. [1] Trichodesmium is the only known diazotroph able to fix nitrogen in daylight under aerobic conditions without the use of heterocysts. [2]
As a result, marine N 2-fixing microorganisms other than Trichodesimum were found by sequencing PCR-amplified fragments of the gene nitrogenase (nifH) .Nitrogenase is the enzyme that catalyzes nitrogen fixation, and studies have shown that nifH is widely distributed throughout the different parts of the ocean. [10]