Nitrous oxide (N2O) in the sea surface microlayer and underlying water during a phytoplankton bloom: a mesocosm study.
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| Title: | Nitrous oxide (N |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Stoltenberg, Ina1 (AUTHOR) istoltenberg@geomar.de, Lange, Lea1 (AUTHOR), Bange, Hermann W.1 (AUTHOR) hbange@geomar.de |
| Source: | Biogeosciences. 2026, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p1515-1525. 11p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Sea surface microlayer, *Algal blooms, *Nitrification, *Coastal biology, *Nitrogen oxides, *Marine ecology |
| Abstract: | Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important climate-relevant atmospheric trace gas. The open and coastal oceans are a major source for atmospheric N2O. However, its production and consumption pathways in the ocean are not well-known and its emission estimates are associated with a high degree of uncertainty. Potential N2O production pathways in the oxic surface ocean include microbial nitrification, release from phytoplankton and photochemodenitrification. In order to decipher the effect of a phytoplankton bloom on dissolved N2O concentrations, N2O was measured – for the first time – in the sea surface microlayer (SML, i.e. the upper 1 mm of the water column) and in the corresponding underlying water (ULW) during a mesocosm study with Jade Bay (coastal water, southern North Sea, Germany) water from 16 May to 16 June 2023. N2O concentrations were slightly enriched in the SML compared to the ULW although the difference of the mean N2O concentrations between the ULW and SML was statistically not significant. N2O was supersaturated (100 %–157 %) in the ULW and SML during the course of the study which indicated an in-situ production of N2O. N2O in-situ production under the experimental conditions is most consistent with photochemodenitrification in combination with the release from phytoplankton, whereas microbial production of N2O via nitrification appeared to be of minor importance. N2O concentrations in both the ULW and the SML were remarkably constant over time and were apparently not affected by irradiation and a phytoplankton bloom which was triggered by nutrient additions. We therefore conclude that the N2O in-situ sources were balanced by the release of N2O to the atmosphere resulting in a steady state of the system. Our results indicate a potential important role of the SML for N2O cycling in the surface ocean and its emissions to the atmosphere, which has been overlooked so far. Moreover, our results are in line with results from field studies which showed that phytoplankton blooms in the ocean do not result in temporarily enhanced N2O concentrations in the ocean surface layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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| Header | DbId: enr DbLabel: Energy & Power Source An: 192129913 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Nitrous oxide (N<subscript>2</subscript>O) in the sea surface microlayer and underlying water during a phytoplankton bloom: a mesocosm study. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stoltenberg%2C+Ina%22">Stoltenberg, Ina</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> istoltenberg@geomar.de</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lange%2C+Lea%22">Lange, Lea</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bange%2C+Hermann W%2E%22">Bange, Hermann W.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> hbange@geomar.de</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Biogeosciences%22">Biogeosciences</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p1515-1525. 11p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sea+surface+microlayer%22">Sea surface microlayer</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Algal+blooms%22">Algal blooms</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nitrification%22">Nitrification</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Coastal+biology%22">Coastal biology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nitrogen+oxides%22">Nitrogen oxides</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marine+ecology%22">Marine ecology</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important climate-relevant atmospheric trace gas. The open and coastal oceans are a major source for atmospheric N2O. However, its production and consumption pathways in the ocean are not well-known and its emission estimates are associated with a high degree of uncertainty. Potential N2O production pathways in the oxic surface ocean include microbial nitrification, release from phytoplankton and photochemodenitrification. In order to decipher the effect of a phytoplankton bloom on dissolved N2O concentrations, N2O was measured – for the first time – in the sea surface microlayer (SML, i.e. the upper 1 mm of the water column) and in the corresponding underlying water (ULW) during a mesocosm study with Jade Bay (coastal water, southern North Sea, Germany) water from 16 May to 16 June 2023. N2O concentrations were slightly enriched in the SML compared to the ULW although the difference of the mean N2O concentrations between the ULW and SML was statistically not significant. N2O was supersaturated (100 %–157 %) in the ULW and SML during the course of the study which indicated an in-situ production of N2O. N2O in-situ production under the experimental conditions is most consistent with photochemodenitrification in combination with the release from phytoplankton, whereas microbial production of N2O via nitrification appeared to be of minor importance. N2O concentrations in both the ULW and the SML were remarkably constant over time and were apparently not affected by irradiation and a phytoplankton bloom which was triggered by nutrient additions. We therefore conclude that the N2O in-situ sources were balanced by the release of N2O to the atmosphere resulting in a steady state of the system. Our results indicate a potential important role of the SML for N2O cycling in the surface ocean and its emissions to the atmosphere, which has been overlooked so far. Moreover, our results are in line with results from field studies which showed that phytoplankton blooms in the ocean do not result in temporarily enhanced N2O concentrations in the ocean surface layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.5194/bg-23-1515-2026 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 11 StartPage: 1515 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Sea surface microlayer Type: general – SubjectFull: Algal blooms Type: general – SubjectFull: Nitrification Type: general – SubjectFull: Coastal biology Type: general – SubjectFull: Nitrogen oxides Type: general – SubjectFull: Marine ecology Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Nitrous oxide (N2O) in the sea surface microlayer and underlying water during a phytoplankton bloom: a mesocosm study. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stoltenberg, Ina – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lange, Lea – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bange, Hermann W. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 02 Text: 2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 17264170 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 23 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Biogeosciences Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
