| Abstract: | Uptake of inorganic carbon and ammonium by the plankton community of three North Carolina estuaries was measured using 14C and 15N isotope methods. At 0% light, C appeared to be lost via respiration, and at increasing light levels uptake of inorganic carbon increased linearly, saturated (mean Ik = 358±30 μEin m−2 s−1), and frequently showed inhibition at the highest light intensities. At 0% light NH4+ uptake was significantly greater than zero and was frequently equivalent to uptake in the light (light independent); at increasing light levels NH4+ uptake saturated (mean Ik = 172±44 μEin m−2 s−1) and frequently indicated strong inhibition. Light-saturated uptake rates of inorganic carbon and NH4+ were a function of chlorophyll a (r2 = 0·7−0·9); average assimilation numbers were 625 nmol CO2 (μg chl. a)−1 h−1 and 12·9 nmol NH4+ (μg chl. a)−1 h−1 and were positively correlated with temperature (r2 = 0·3−0·7). The ratio of dark to light-saturated NH4+ uptake tended to be near 1·0 for large algal populations at low NH4+ concentrations, indicating near light independence of uptake; whereas the ratio was lower for the opposite conditions. These data are interpreted as indicative of nitrogen stress, and it is suggested that uptake of NH4+ deep in the euphotic zone and at night are mechanisms for balancing the C:N of cellular pools. A 24-h study using summed short-term incubations confirmed this; the cumulative C:N of CO2 and NH4+ uptake during the daylight period was 10–20, whereas over the 24-h period the ratio was 6 due to dark NH4+ uptake. Annual carbon and nitrogen primary productivity were respectively estimated as 24 and 4·0 mol m−2 year−1 for the South River estuary, 42 and 7·3 mol m−2 year−1 for the Neuse River estuary, and 9·6 and 1·6 mol m−2 year−1 for the Newport River estuary. |
