Stable nitrogen isotopes in essential versus non-essential amino acids of different plankton size fractions

The stable nitrogen isotope values (delta(15)N) of the essential amino acid (EAA) leucine and the delta(15)N values of six non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) from plankton size fractions from the South China Sea (SCS) were analysed. Data from the SCS were collected during two cruises in July 2003 and 2004 onboard of RV Nghien Cuu Bien. The delta(15)N values of alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and leucine increased with size at all sites. The delta(15)N of glycine did not increase with size, the delta(15)N of tyrosine increased with size only at offshore stations and the delta(15)N of proline increased with size only at inshore stations. We found highly significant correlations between the delta(15)N ratios of leucine to the delta(15)N ratios of glutamic acid, proline, alanine, tyrosine and aspartic acid at oligotrophic sites of enhanced nitrogen fixation. In contrast thereto these correlations were less distinct or absent at more eutrophic sites of low nitrogen fixation. A comparison with an independent data set from the tropical North Atlantic revealed intriguing similar patterns. We interpret these patterns as result of the connected metabolism of EAA and NEAA in zooplankton at sites of nitrogen limitation.