Nitrogen Fixation In

The Sea
Geneviève Marston & Jessica M. Osmond
 Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrogen is the common element in all amino acids and is therefore essential
for the growth and survival of all organisms.

Animals are unable to use the inorganic N2 gas that is present in the
atmosphere, they must rely on nitrogen fixing organism called diazotrophs
(organism that fixes nitrogen) such as some forms of bacteria and blue-
green algae (ex; phytoplankton) for their source of N.

These organisms possess nitrogenase a enzyme that fix's nitrogen into

usable from like nitrate, nitrite and ammonia.

Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of molecular N2 into one or another of

the chemically combined forms.

Most nitrogen fixation occurs on land, but some does happen in the sea (this
may not be true).
 Nitrogen Fixation
N2 + 8 H+ + 8 e− → 2 NH3 + H2

The enzymes that are associated with nitrogenase are

easily destroyed by O2, for this reason anaerobic
conditions are ideal, in fact many diazotrophs only
exist in anaerobic conditions.
 Organic Matter
Production
Nitrogen availability on land is much greater than in the ocean, plants have
access to about 0.5% nitrogen in the soil and this allows them to produced
about 50kg of organic material

However in the ocean there is only 0.00005% present for phytoplankton to

produce, they however can access a larger volume of the water.

The phytoplankton are limited in depth by light, it is calculated that they

would have access to about 100m^3 giving a production of 500g. This is not
the case, it is shown that they may only produce about 25g of organic
material This discrepancy is explained by a number of factors such as varying
amounts of nitrogen across the sea (not equally spread out), concentration
also vary at different debts. Also due only to light absorptions by water,
production is better at 10m rather than 100m. phytoplankton growth also
affects the absorption, as growth increases in the uppers parts of the sea,
the light can not penetrate as well threw the thinker phytoplankton.
 Conversion of N2

4 ways to convert N2 to a organic useable form

1. Biological fixation – Symbiotic bacteria, like diazotrophs (primary

producers)

2. Industrial N-fixation – Under high pressure and temperature

(600 C), combined with the use of an iron catalyst, atmospheric
nitrogen and can be combined to form ammonia (NH3).

3. Combustion of fossil fuels – automobile engines and thermal

power plants, which release various nitrogen oxides (NOx).

4. Other processes – The formation of NO from N2 and O2 due to

photons and especially lightning.
 Nitrogen Cycle
Is the cycle of nitrogen from inorganic from to organic
and back to inorganic…

This cycle is essential part of life

Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle In The Sea
Primary Produces in The
Sea
Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green
Algae)
include unicellular and colonial species
colonies may form filaments, sheets or hollow balls
include a type of cell called a heterocyst
a heterocyst is a nitrogen-fixing cell that uses
nitrogenase to provide the filament with nitrogen for
biosynthesis
nitrogenase is activated by oxygen, so the heterocyst
must create a microanaerobic environment
 Rivularia

a filamentous blue-green algae

form colonies of densely arranged trichromes (the

mutlicelluar filaments)that aggregate into
hemispherical colonies

often found on pebbles and soil

heterocysts are oriented at the base on the substrate

 Anabaena

heterocysts form at semi-regular intervals along the

filament
 Nostoc

form colonies composed of thousands of filaments in

a gelatinous sheath
 Gleocapsa

a few cells inside clear matrix

Oscillatora (unsheathed) &
Phormidium (inside sheath)
filaments can slide back and forth across one another
until the whole mass is reoriented into its light source.

Reproduces by fragmentation