Dry atmospheric deposition and diazotrophy as sources of new nitrogen to northwestern Mediterranean oligotrophic surface waters

Atmospheric dry deposition of nitrogen (N) and dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates were assessed in 2004 at the time-series DYFAMED station (northwestern Mediterranean, 43°25′N, 7°52′E). The atmospheric input was monitored over the whole year. Dinitrogen fixation was measured during different seasonal trophic states (from mesotrophy to oligotrophy) sampled during nine cruises. The bioavailability of atmospherically deposited nutrients was estimated by apparent solubility after 96 h. The solubility of dry atmospheric N deposition was highly variable (from ∼18% to more than 96% of total N). New N supplied to surface waters by the dry atmospheric deposition was mainly nitrate (NO3−) (∼57% of total N, compared to ∼6% released as ammonium (NH4+)). The mean bioavailable dry flux of total N was estimated to be ∼112 μmol m−2 d−1 over the whole year. The NO3− contribution (70 μmol NO3− m−2 d−1) was much higher than the NH4+ contribution (1.2 μmol NH4+ m−2 d−1). The N:P ratios in the bioavailable fraction of atmospheric inputs (122.5–1340) were always much higher than the Redfield N:P ratio (16). Insoluble N in atmospheric dry deposition (referred to as “organic” and believed to be strongly related to anthropogenic emissions) was ∼40 μmol m−2 d−1. N2 fixation rates ranged from 2 to 7.5 nmol L−1 d−1. The highest values were found in August, during the oligotrophic period (7.5 nmol L−1 at 10 m depth), and in April, during the productive period (4 nmol L−1 d−1 at 10 m depth). Daily integrated values of N2 fixation ranged from 22 to 100 μmol N m−2 d−1, with a maximum of 245 μmol N m−2 d−1 in August. No relationship was found between the availability of phosphorus or iron and the observed temporal variability of N2 fixation rates. The atmospheric dry deposition and N2 fixation represented 0.5–6% and 1–20% of the total biological nitrogen demand, respectively. Their contribution to new production was more significant: 1–28% and 2–55% for atmospheric dry deposition and N2 fixation, respectively. The dry atmospheric input was particularly significant in conditions of water column stratification (16–28% of new production), while N2 fixation reached its highest values in June (46% of new production) and in August (55%).