Nitrogen in the Marine Environment


Book Description

Nitrogen in the Marine Environment provides information pertinent to the many aspects of the nitrogen cycle. This book presents the advances in ocean productivity research, with emphasis on the role of microbes in nitrogen transformations with excursions to higher trophic levels. Organized into 24 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the abundance and distribution of the various forms of nitrogen in a number of estuaries. This text then provides a comparison of the nitrogen cycling of various ecosystems within the marine environment. Other chapters consider chemical distributions and methodology as an aid to those entering the field. This book discusses as well the enzymology of the initial steps of inorganic nitrogen assimilation. The final chapter deals with the philosophy and application of modeling as an investigative method in basic research on nitrogen dynamics in coastal and open-ocean marine environments. This book is a valuable resource for plant biochemists, microbiologists, aquatic ecologists, and bacteriologists.







The European Nitrogen Assessment


Book Description

Presenting the first continental-scale assessment of reactive nitrogen in the environment, this book sets the related environmental problems in context by providing a multidisciplinary introduction to the nitrogen cycle processes. Issues of upscaling from farm plot and city to national and continental scales are addressed in detail with emphasis on opportunities for better management at local to global levels. The five key societal threats posed by reactive nitrogen are assessed, providing a framework for joined-up management of the nitrogen cycle in Europe, including the first cost-benefit analysis for different reactive nitrogen forms and future scenarios. Incorporating comprehensive maps, a handy technical synopsis and a summary for policy makers, this landmark volume is an essential reference for academic researchers across a wide range of disciplines, as well as stakeholders and policy makers. It is also a valuable tool in communicating the key environmental issues and future challenges to the wider public.




Carbon Cycling in the Glacial Ocean: Constraints on the Ocean’s Role in Global Change


Book Description

A comprehensive progress report on the multi-disciplinary field of ocean and climate change research is given. It compiles introductory background papers and leading scientific results on the ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle with emphasis on the ocean's carbon inventory and the various components involved. The relationship between plankton productivity, carbon fixation, oceanic PCO2 and climate change is investigated from the viewpoint of long-term climatic change during the late Quaternary cycles of ice ages and warm ages. The various approaches range from micropaleontology over organic and trace element geochemistry to molecular isotope geochemistry.




Monitoring of Marine Pollution


Book Description

Many of the pollutants discharged into the sea are directly or indirectly the result of human activities. Some of these substances are biodegradable, while others are not. This study is devoted to monitoring areas of the environment. Methods assessment is based on monitoring data and an evaluation of the impact of pollution.Surveillance provides a scientific basis for standards development and application. The methodology of marine pollution control is governed by algorithms and models. A monitoring strategy should be put in place, coupled with an environmental assessment concept, through targeted research activities in areas identified at local and regional levels. This concept will make it possible to diagnose the state of "health" of these zones and consequently to correct any anomalies. Monitoring of the marine and coastal environment is based on recent methods and validated after experiments in the field of marine pollution.




Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter


Book Description

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a complex mixture of molecules found throughout the world's oceans. It plays a key role in the export, distribution, and sequestration of carbon in the oceanic water column, posited to be a source of atmospheric climate regulation. Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter, Second Edition, focuses on the chemical constituents of DOM and its biogeochemical, biological, and ecological significance in the global ocean, and provides a single, unique source for the references, information, and informed judgments of the community of marine biogeochemists. Presented by some of the world's leading scientists, this revised edition reports on the major advances in this area and includes new chapters covering the role of DOM in ancient ocean carbon cycles, the long term stability of marine DOM, the biophysical dynamics of DOM, fluvial DOM qualities and fate, and the Mediterranean Sea. Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter, Second Edition, is an extremely useful resource that helps people interested in the largest pool of active carbon on the planet (DOC) get a firm grounding on the general paradigms and many of the relevant references on this topic. - Features up-to-date knowledge of DOM, including five new chapters - The only published work to synthesize recent research on dissolved organic carbon in the Mediterranean Sea - Includes chapters that address inputs from freshwater terrestrial DOM







Biological, Physical and Geochemical Features of Enclosed and Semi-enclosed Marine Systems


Book Description

The proceedings of the joint BMB 15 and ECSA 27 Symposium provides the reader with some of the advances in the study of biology, ecology, and physical and biochemical modelling of enclosed or semi-enclosed marine, brackish and estuarine systems (the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the White Sea, the Black Sea, and the Ionian Sea). The book covers a wide range of topics in this field, including hydrography and modelling, eutrophication, environmental gradients, pelagic and benthic communities, introduced species and case studies of environmental impact. This volume of 28 papers summarizes current knowledge on the broad-scale topics of enclosed and semi-enclosed marine systems, and should be of interest to scientists, students and administrators within the field of marine ecology, environmental impact control and conservation.




Nitrogen Cycling in Coastal Marine Environments


Book Description

Nitrogen discharge to the coastal environment has been increasing, posing the threat of accelerated eutrofication. Considerable research has been conducted in recent years to examine the impact of the nitrogen loading in coastal ecosystems. Based on proceedings from a SCOPE symposium held at the University of Aarhus in July of 1985, this volume covers a variety of up-to-date developments in research on nitrogen cycling in coastal marine environments. Topics include the role of nitrogen in algal productivity, regeneration of nutrients in the water column and the sediments, and the flow of nitrogen in coastal ecosystems.




Denitrification in Soil and Sediment


Book Description

The formation of atmospheric nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria may represent a significant nutrient sink in natural ecosystems. The rate of denitrification has often been difficult to measure in situ, however, and new methodologies should stimulate research on distribution of activity in space and time. The load of fertilizer nitrogen in modem agriculture has led to increasing nutrient reservoirs in recipient subsoils, aquifers, inland waters and coastal seas. By its conversion of nitrate to atmospheric nitrogen, bacterial denitrification is the only biological process to potentially reduce the impact of increasing nutrient loadings by fertilizer nitrogen in the environment. As part of a scientific program set up by the Danish Ministry of Environment to study environment cycling of nitrogen, phosphorous and organic matter (NPO program) in the light of agricultural, domestic and industrial activities, a symposium on DENITRIFICATION IN SOIL AND SEDIMENT was held at the University of Aarhus, Denmark from 6-9 June 19i\9. On the basis of lectures given at the symposium, this book contains a number of invited contributions on the regulation of denitrification activity (control of enzyme synthesis and activity) and measurement of in situ rates of denitrification in terrestrial and aquatic environments (control factors, diel and seasonal variations, etc). Emphasis has been placed on including the recent improvements in methodologies and current understanding of process regulation, however the book also contains examples of integrated research on the significance of denitrification in environmental nutrient cycling.