title: Mesoscale iron enrichment experiments 1993-2005: synthesis and future directions.
abstract: Since the mid-1980s, our understanding of nutrient limitation of oceanic primary production has radically changed. Mesoscale iron addition experiments (FeAXs) have unequivocally shown that iron supply limits production in one-third of the world ocean, where surface macronutrient concentrations are perennially high. The findings of these 12 FeAXs also reveal that iron supply exerts controls on the dynamics of plankton blooms, which in turn affect the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, silicon, and sulfur and ultimately influence the Earth climate system. However, extrapolation of the key results of FeAXs to regional and seasonal scales in some cases is limited because of differing modes of iron supply in FeAXs and in the modern and paleo-oceans. New research directions include quantification of the coupling of oceanic iron and carbon biogeochemistry.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. pboyd@alkali.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jickells
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blain
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Buesseler
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Coale
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: H J W
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Baar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Follows
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lancelot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levasseur
authors.forename: N P J
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Rivkin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarmiento
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schoemann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smetacek
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001272:Atmosphere; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D002980:Climate; D017377:Diatoms / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012623:Seawater; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon; D007501:Iron