Host: Abstracts of Annual Meeting of the Geochemical Society of Japan
Pages 150-
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for marine microorganism. However, at high concentrations in seawater, the free copper species can also be toxic. To reduce its toxicity, phytoplankton is known to release organic ligands which bind to and detoxify free copper. In the East China Sea, total dissolved Cu concentrations were found to range from 0.6 nM to 4.7 nM and were negatively correlated to salinity. The distribution of Cu-binding ligands followed closely to that of total Cu. The Cu-binding ligands in the East China Sea had similar distribution patterns to FDOM, particularly to tyrosine-like components. These protein-like components were known to be released into seawater by biological production, which can be spurred by increased nutrient influx from riverine discharge.
