The biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in marine systems

The cycling of phosphorus (P) in the ocean has long been viewed from a geological perspective that tends to focus on balancing P sources (riverine and atmospheric) and sinks (sedimentary burial) over long (>1000 years) time scales. There have been substantially fewer treatises, however, that have sought to review current understanding of the processes which effect the distribution of P between these two endpoints. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the biogeochemical cycling of P within the oceans is given, with particular attention focused on the composition and recycling rates of P within the water column.