Nature Communications (May 2021)

Small sinking particles control anammox rates in the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone

  • Clarissa Karthäuser,
  • Soeren Ahmerkamp,
  • Hannah K. Marchant,
  • Laura A. Bristow,
  • Helena Hauss,
  • Morten H. Iversen,
  • Rainer Kiko,
  • Joeran Maerz,
  • Gaute Lavik,
  • Marcel M. M. Kuypers

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23340-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Up to 40% of the ocean’s fixed nitrogen is lost in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) by anammox, but despite the importance of this process, nitrogen loss patterns in OMZs are difficult to predict. Here the authors show that ammonium release from small particles is a major control of anammox in the Peruvian OMZ.