Summary
Nutrients and dissolved and particulate organic compounds were analysed on extensive station grids in the North Sea in winter 1987 and early summer 1986. For the first time, this enabled a calculation of nitrogen and phosphorus transformation to be carried out in the water column in different parts of the North Sea. By comparing winter and late spring data, an estimate of net nutrient conversion between these seasons can be made. During early summer, nutrients decreased within the whole water column whereas levels of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus were higher than in winter.
The total decrease from winter to summer was about 2 ΜM for nitrogen and 0.2 ΜM for phosphorus. During summer, possible phosphate limitation was only observed in the German Bight whereas limitation of nitrogenous nutrients was possible in the whole central North Sea. In both seasons, total N/P ratios were generally lower in the central North Sea than in the continental coastal water. Particulate phosphorus is transported from the southern British coast into the continental coastal water.
Zusammenfassung
Im Verlauf der Nordsee-Untersuchungen an ausgedehnten Stationsnetzen im Winter 1987 und Frühsommer 1986 wurden neben NÄhrsalzen auch die gelösten und partikulÄren organischen Substanzen bestimmt. Damit konnten zum ersten Mal Bilanzen von Stickstoff und Phosphor in der WassersÄule berechnet werden und durch Vergleich der Winter- und Frühjahrswerte der Nettoumsatz der NÄhrsalze wÄhrend der Frühjahrsplanktonentwicklung abgeschÄtzt werden. Im Vergleich zum Winter waren im Frühsommer die NÄhrsalzkonzentrationen in der gesamten WassersÄule erniedrigt, die Konzentrationen von gelösten und partikulÄren organischen Substanzen aber erhöht. Im Bereich der Deutschen Bucht wurde im Sommer eine Phosphatlimitierung beobachtet, in der zentralen Nordsee eine Limitierung durch StickstoffnÄhrsalze. PartikulÄrer Phosphor wird von der südbritischen Küste in das kontinentale Küstenwasser eingetragen. Die Gesamtbilanzen ergeben für den Sommer eine Verringerung von 2 ΜM für N bzw. von 0,2 ΜM P im Vergleich zum Winter. Die Gesamt-N/P-VerhÄltnisse waren generell in der zentralen Nordsee niedriger als im kontinentalen Küstenwasser.
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Brockmann, U.H., Kattner, G. Winter- to- summer changes of nutrients, dissolved and particulate organic material in the North Sea. Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift 49, 229–242 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02764035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02764035