Marki, Alexandra (2016) Model based analysis of plankton responses to variations in nutrient stoichiometry in oxygen minimum zones. (PhD/ Doctoral thesis), Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany, 123 pp.

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Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling on elemental stoichiometry of marine plankton across different trophic ecosystem levels in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific boundary system of Peru. The Peruvian upwelling region is one of the most productive upwelling systems of the world. However, the upwelling area is accompanied by oxygen deficient water masses, known as the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone (OMZs). Oxygen deficient water masses influence marine N and P inventories, may lead to shifts in the community composition (e.g., fish) and affect marine environments and humans. The present study suggests that microbial processes can contribute significantly to the food web dynamics and the N and P cycles in the Peruvian Upwelling region. Furthermore, this modeling study will permit to investigate the intimate interplay of marine biogeochemical cycles by observing changes of the N and P stoichiometry, at the organisms’ level throughout the planktonic food web. Moreover, the sixth chapter suggests the implementation of the planktonic lipid metabolism in physiological process models as a next step, in order to investigate more closely the effects of environmental changes on food quality for consumers of the planktonic food web.

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