Synthesis of iron fertilization experiments: From the Iron Age in the Age of Enlightenment

Comparison of eight iron experiments shows that maximum Chl a , the maximum DIC removal, and the overall DIC/Fe efficiency all scale inversely with depth of the wind mixed layer (WML) defining the light environment. Moreover, lateral patch dilution, sea surface irradiance, temperature, and grazing play additional roles. The Southern Ocean experiments were most influenced by very deep WMLs. In contrast, light conditions were most favorable during SEEDS and SERIES as well as during IronEx‐2. The two extreme experiments, EisenEx and SEEDS, can be linked via EisenEx bottle incubations with shallower simulated WML depth. Large diatoms always benefit the most from Fe addition, where a remarkably small group of…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 9911765, 0322074, 9912230
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• EC
  European Commission
• NO
  Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
• DO
  Division of Ocean Sciences