Inhibition of Primary Productivity through Heterotrophic Competition for Nitrate in a Stratified Estuary

1 January 1975

journal article
Published by Canadian Science Publishing in Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada

Vol. 32 (1) , 72-77
https://doi.org/10.1139/f75-011

Abstract

Virtual disappearance of NO₃ from Alberni Inlet brackish water containing very sparse phytoplankton with low growth rate was documented using ¹⁴C technique with chemical determinations of nutrients and chlorophyll. This phenomenon is explained by the enhancement of the heterotrophic biomass by the organic carbon-rich, nitrogen-deficient, pulpmill effluent and the consequent heterotrophic assimilation of NO₃ as a nitrogen source for protein synthesis.

Keywords

PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY
NITRATE
HETEROTROPHIC COMPETITION
STRATIFIED ESTUARY
INHIBITION OF PRIMARY

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