GRADIENTES DE FIJACION DE NITROGENO ÉN LOS SEDIMENTOS MARINOS ASOCIADOS A ARRECIFES CORALINOS EN EL SUROESTE DE PUERTO RICO

Abstract

Marine sediment samples and interstitial water from five stations at the southwest of PuertoRico with different characteristics in composition, were submitted to acetylene reduction technique for nitrogen fixation quantification and ammonium analysis respectively. All stations showed positive results. Glucose addition to the samples increased nitrogen fixation in a proportion of 50 to 200. Organic matter per cent correlated to both: nitrogen fixation and ammonium concentration, indicated a direct proporcionality. In addition nitrogen fixation correlated to the ammonium concentration per station, showed that nitrogen fixation could be limited by the ammonium ion presence in those benthic systems.