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Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
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Published on: October 7, 2020

Nitrite oxidation in the Namibian oxygen minimum zone.

Jessika Füssel1, Phyllis Lam, Gaute Lavik

  • 1Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany. jfuessel@mpi-bremen.de

The ISME Journal
|December 16, 2011
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Summary

Nitrite oxidation, crucial for oceanic nitrate production, occurs even in low-oxygen zones. Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) like Nitrospina and Nitrococcus are abundant, competing with other microbes for nitrite.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine microbial ecology
  • Biogeochemical cycles
  • Oceanic nitrogen cycling

Background:

  • Nitrite oxidation is the second step of nitrification and a key source of oceanic nitrate.
  • This process is vital for nitrogen bioavailability but remains understudied in marine environments.
  • Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are critical areas for nitrogen cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify nitrite oxidation rates in the Namibian OMZ.
  • To compare these rates with other nitrogen transformation processes.
  • To identify the dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and their abundance.

Main Methods:

  • Direct measurement of nitrite oxidation rates using (15)N-incubation experiments.
  • Comparison with rates of ammonia oxidation, denitrification, anammox, and nitrate/nitrite reduction to ammonium.
  • Identification of NOB genera using catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH).

Main Results:

  • Nitrite oxidation was detected throughout the OMZ, even at low oxygen concentrations.
  • Nitrite oxidation rates frequently exceeded ammonia oxidation rates.
  • Nitrate reduction was a significant nitrite source, and nitrite oxidation co-occurred with anammox, indicating competition for nitrite.
  • Nitrospina and Nitrococcus were the only detectable NOB genera, abundant throughout the OMZ and comprising up to 9% of the microbial community.

Conclusions:

  • Nitrite oxidation is an active process in the Namibian OMZ, contributing significantly to nitrogen recycling.
  • NOB, primarily Nitrospina and Nitrococcus, play a substantial role in re-oxidizing nitrogen.
  • Competition exists between NOB and anammox bacteria for nitrite in oxygen-deficient waters.