Recent observations of the atmosphere and ocean have suggested that the atmospheric input of mineral dust is a significant source of iron the the euphotic zone in much of the ocean. In some regions with high concentrations of major nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate and silicate, the supply of iron from the atmosphere is insufficient to allow phytoplankton growth that would otherwise develop. In this study the effect of atmospheric iron on phytoplankton growth, the influence of other metals also present in the sea and their interaction with iron, and the processing of iron by phytoplankton will be examined. %%% Growth of plants in the sea depends upon the presence and amount of fertilizer, just as growth of land plants requires fertilizer. In recent months observations of the atmosphere and the ocean have suggested that iron concentrations in the sea may be governed by input from atmospheric dust. Iron is necessary for plant growth, and thus the cycles by which iron is added to the oceans and its interaction with other metals in the sea and with the plants of the sea, are potentially major factors governing plant growth and biomass in the upper layers of the ocean. This study addresses both plant utilization of metals and metal concentrations and interactions in the sea.
