The net inputs of silicic acid (dissolved silica) to the world ocean have been revised to 6.1 +/- 2.0 teramoles of silicon per year (1 teramole = 10(12) moles). The major contribution (about 80 percent) comes from rivers, whose world average silicic acid concentration is 150 micromolar. These inputs are reasonably balanced by the net ouputs of biogenic silica of 7.1 +/- 1.8 teramoles of silicon per year in modern marine sediments. The gross production of biogenic silica (the transformation of dissolved silicate to particulate skeletal material) in surface waters was estimated to be 240 +/- 40 teramoles of silicon per year, and the preservation ratio (opal accumulation in sediment/gross production in surface waters) averages 3 percent. In the world ocean the residence time of silicon, relative to total biological uptake in surface waters, is about 400 years.

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During the European Polarstern Study (EPOS 1988(EPOS /1989 in the Weddell and Scotia Seas, five series of metal enrichment experiments were carried out with natural plankton communities under ultraclean conditions. Despite a clear stimulation of growth by the addition of Fe, control bottles (no additions) also showed rapid buildup of Chl a and complete utilization of a major nutrient within 2 weeks, indicating nonlimiting ambient Fe levels. Effects of Mn additions were less pronounced or absent, whereas extra additions of Zn and Cu in one experiment showed little or no effect. The species composition of the plankton community, monitored by HPLC pigment analysis and microscopic observations, changed in favor of diatoms when Fe was added. The addition of Fe also caused an increase in microzooplankton densities and concentrations of pigment breakdown products. However, metal-mediated shifts in the plankton community were minor compared to major changes resulting from incubation. Changes were most pronounced in experiments where microzooplankton was strongly developed, presumably as a result of excluding mesozooplankton from the bottles. Fe had an impact on plankton growth and species composition, but other factors seem to be responsible for keeping phytoplankton productivity far from its potential in these Antarctic waters.Over the past few years a lively discussion has come about on the matter of the presumed limiting role of Fe in various oceanic, high nutrient level ecosystems (e.g.

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