Effects of nitrogen and iron enrichments on phytoplankton communities in the Northwestern Indian Ocean

Nutrient-enrichment bottle experiments in the northwestern Indian Ocean surface waters were conducted to investigate phytoplankton growth following enrichments with either NH4+, NO3−, Fe or Fe + NO3−. Stimulation of phytoplankton growth could be achieved by the addition of either NH4+ or NO3− under the ambient Fe concentrations, but the most significant increases in Chl a, POC, and cell densities were observed in the Fe + NO3−-amended culture. Iron addition caused more rapid responses of phytoplankton growth in the Fe + NO3− treatment than those in the NO3− and NH4− treatment. However, the Fe-enrichment treatment revealed minimal growth of phytoplankton because of severe major nutrient deficiency and was similar to the control treatment. Increases in the cell density of diatoms and spherical phytoplankton cells (< 10 μm) were significant in the NH4+-enriched samples, whereas NO3− enrichment alone had little effect on the diatoms. Simultaneous addition of Fe and NO3− stimulated maximal growth of phytoplankton, in particular in diatoms, coccolithophorids and Phaeocystis type colonies. However, the dominance of coccolithophorids and Phaeocystis type colonies in the Fe + NO3− treatment may be interpreted as resulting from Si-limitation. The high N/P ratio for phytoplankton nutrient uptake in the N-amended culture indicates the possibility of some P-limited growth. From these results, we conclude that in the northwestern Indian Ocean, Fe and major nutrients are co-limiting phytoplankton production during the northeast monsoon. Iron appeared to affect the ability of phytoplankton to respond quickly to transient nutrient inputs.