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Simona Marrazza

Dr. Beauregard

OCE 1013 C

Summary from Science Journal:

This article informs the readers about the difference growth of nitrogen and phosphorus located

in Pensacola Bay, Upper Bay and Lower Bay. Scientists made several experiments for all whole

year, from 1998 to 1999 and stated that phosphorus had a higher rate of productivity and it was

the same rate for both Upper Bay and Lower Bay. Nitrogen had the lowest amount of growth

because experiments were made during winter and spring where the nitrogen productivity is

scarce during those cool months.

It is scientifically stated the fact that from 20% to 40% US waters are affected from nutrient

pollution, fresh and marine waters which it could cause strict consequences. According to

scientific resources, fresh water system is phosphorus limited and marine system is nitrogen

limited. Let’s talk about the studies that have been done in Pensacola Bay. The salinity results

affirmed that Upper Bay was much lower and Lower Bay was higher. In difference with

chlorophyll that was 8.2 in Upper Bay and 5.4 in Lower Bay and nutrient concentration was a

little bit higher in Upper Bay, 4.9 and 3.3, DIP 0.6 and 0.4. These are the information based on

average from article’s tables. Phytoplankton growth was raised in Upper Bay and Lower Bay and

8 of the 12 experimented reveal that phosphorus was much higher than nitrogen in the same

location listed above. Discussions assumed that the variability of phosphorus could be cause of

testing water from shallow water and shoreline or must probability of testing during different

month, from coldest to warmest.

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(An interesting information good enough to underline is that back in 1973 to 1994 reveal

that in Pensacola Bay, phosphorus was lower than nitrogen, twenty-one years). Impressive!

In conclusion, in Pensacola Bay researches state that zooplankton affected micro zooplankton

quantity because the low grazing pressure on phytoplankton. Also, in shallow water, a scarce

amount of light limited phytoplankton productivity, followed by turbid water that increased the

problem.

This article reflects all the information so far learned from Dr. Beauregard and her course. It was

amazing for me, by reading this article I could actually picture my professor talking. My

professor must probably assigned this article to us because it states facts and information that she

already gave to us in class and also because it is full of information from others scientists and

their experiments done for years. Also, it talks about our location, which it makes much more

interesting and intriguing to us to know how our local water works and what they contain.

Definitely, this article questioned my mind, “It will be there another article that will inform us

about the difference of rate between P and N in fresh water and salt water during warm season”?

I’m very curious to know…….and I think this would be the next step in the researches that

scientists should make to answer our question and curiosity.