David
R. Turner and Keith
A. Hunter
John Wiley & Sons, 2001
[ISBN 0-471-49068-7]
Intensive research carried out during the 1990's (known as the "Iron
Age of Oceanography") provided a wealth of new information and this
title, written by acknowledged experts and reviewed by international
specialists, provides the authoritative and comprehensive review of
the subject area.
The proposal that a lack of iron can limit phytoplankton growth in
the oceans was first put forward in the 1930's but it was not until
the 1980's that developments in clean sampling and analytical techniques
had advanced sufficiently to allow accurate measurements of iron at
trace levels. The field has now advanced to a stage where a critical
analysis of progress to date can be of considerable benefit to the research
community as a whole.
A joint venture between SCOR and IUPAC, it expertly addresses the
current state of knowledge of the biogeochemistry of iron in seawater
and covers:
- Chemical speciation
- Analytical techniques
- Transformation of iron
It includes evidence for iron limitation of primary production of High
Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) areas in the ocean and offers a wealth
of new information. Structured into a series of chapters it has been
reviewed by international specialists- SCOR (Scientific Committee for
Ocean Research) and IUPAC (International Union for Pure and Applied
Chemistry). Ideal for scientists studying the environmental impact of
metals and their role in marine ecosystems; Marine Scientists and Oceanographers;
Environmental Analytical Chemists. The final chapter summarises the
conclusions of the book and discusses the priorities for future research.