Skip to main content

When Iron Levels in the Ocean Increase, Many Forms of Life in the Ocean Grow and Reproduce to Increase Their Total Collective Mass

Iron is a critical nutrient for marine life, and its availability can have a significant impact on the productivity and growth of various organisms in the ocean. Furthermore, when iron levels rise, particularly in areas previously limited by its scarcity, the enhanced availability of this micronutrient can lead to increased primary production, which in turn supports higher trophic levels and contributes to the overall biomass of the marine ecosystem123.

The importance of iron in regulating ocean productivity is well-established. Research has shown that iron is necessary for critical metabolic processes in phytoplankton, including nitrate utilization and chlorophyll production, highlighting its role as a limiting factor in many oceanic regions where productivity is otherwise constrained by nutrient availability2. As such, enhanced iron inputs can lead to a notable increase in phytoplankton growth, which serves as the foundation for the marine food web and supports a diverse range of marine life2.

Sources:​

Footnotes​

  1. Takeda, S. (2002). Towards the enhancement of biological production in the oceans. Fisheries Science, 68(Suppl. 1), 20-24. https://doi.org/10.2331/fishsci.68.sup1_20 ↩

  2. Elrod, V. A., Berelson, W. M., Coale, K. H., & Johnson, K. S. (2004). The flux of iron from continental shelf sediments: A missing source for global budgets. Geophysical Research Letters, 31(12). https://doi.org/10.1029/2004gl020216 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. For decades, scientists have known that fertilizing ocean water with iron increases the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton and other life. ↩