Iron controls patterns of nitrogen fixation in the Atlantic

Nitrogen fixation in the Atlantic

		IMAGE: This is the experimental set-up on the Royal Research Ship Discovery. Click here for more information.

Scientists including researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the University of Essex have discovered that interactions between iron supply, transported through the atmosphere from deserts, and large-scale oceanic circulation control the availability of a crucial nutrient, nitrogen, in the Atlantic. Their findings have potentially important implications for understanding global climate, both past and future.