A comparison of iron limitation of phytoplankton in natural oceanic waters and laboratory media conditioned with EDTA

The solubility of iron in oxic waters is so low that iron can be a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth in the open ocean. In order to mimic low iron concentrations in algal cultures, Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is commonly used. The presence of EDTA enables culture experiments to be performed at a low free metal concentration, while the total metal concentrations are high. Using EDTA provides for a more reproducible medium. In this study Fe speciation, as defined by EDTA in culture media, is compared with complexation by natural organic complexes in ocean water where Fe is thought to be limited. To grow oceanic species into iron limitation, a concentration of at least 10−4 M EDTA is necessary. Only then does the calculated [Fe3+] concentrations resemble those found in natural sea water, where the speciation is governed by natural dissolved organic ligands at nanomolar concentrations. Moreover, EDTA influences the redox speciation of iron, and thus frustrates research on the preferred source of Fe-uptake, Fe(III) or Fe(II), by algae. Nowadays, one can measure the extent of natural organic complexation in sea water, as well as the dissolved Fe(II) state, and can use ultra clean techniques in order to prevent contamination. Therefore, it is advisable to work with more natural conditions and not use EDTA to create iron limitation. This is especially important when the biological availability of the different chemical fractions of iron are the subject of research. Typically, many oceanic algae in the smallest size classes can still grow at very low ambient Fe and are not easily cultivated into limitation under ambient sea water conditions. However, the important class of large oceanic algae responsible for the major blooms and the large scale cycling of carbon, silicon and other elements, commonly has a high Fe requirement and can be grown into Fe limitation in ambient seawater