The Utilization of Organic Phosphorus by Phytoplankton

Abstract

Cultural experiments were made with marine organisms in enriched crude sea water and in bacteria-free cultures with the phosphorus supplied in different forms. It was found that pyrophosphate cannot be utilized as a source of phosphorus as effectively as orthophosphate by the organisms cultured, i.e. Phaeocystis Pouchetii, Skeletonema costatum and Nitzschia closterium. Growth of Phaeocystis Pouchetii was a little better and lasted longer when phytin was supplied to natural sea water as a source of phosphorus than when orthophosphate was supplied. Phytin can also support a growth of Skeletonema costatum and Nitzschia closterium as good as, or a little better than, orthophosphate.The organic phosphorus compounds used in these experiments were found to be broken down into orthophosphate in natural sea water. In bacteria-free cultures phytin and glycerophosphoric acid can be effectively used as such by Nitzschia closterium forma minutissima as a source of phosphorus, while sodium nucleinate and lecithin can not be effectively used as such. The organic phosphorus dissolved out from the blades of Laminaria can also be utilized by this diatom as effectively as orthophosphorus.It would seem, therefore, that not only the dissolved orthophosphate as generally assumed, but the dissolved organic phosphorus in the sea may also be absorbed and utilized by plants.