On the Forms, Balance and Cycle of Phosphorus Observed in the Coastal and Oceanic Waters of the Northeastern Pacific

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Abstract
The analytical data required for the determination of various forms of phosphorus in sea water are discussed. The precision obtained by a modified Hansen–Robinson perchloric oxidation method has been evaluated and results are given for particulate phosphorus and for soluble inorganic and organic phosphorus.At Departure Bay, near Nanaimo, B.C., over 75% of the soluble phosphorus in the surface water may be organically combined, the fraction increasing as the standing crop of phytoplankton increases. A similar high percentage is found in other coastal areas in summer and in the open ocean. The total phosphorus content of deep oceanic water is over 4 μg-at P/1 and as much as 1 μg-at P/1 or more may remain unmineralized, even at a depth of 1000 to 2000 m.

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