Hagi BucknWise: Created page with "{{BreadcrumbsPrimaryProduction}} * Page authors: PRIMO * Responsible curator: Hagen Buck-Wiese ---- TOC
{| class="model-ib" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em;" ! Phytoplankton carbon content |- | '''Approach:''' elemental analysis (CHN), biovolume conversion, or ¹³C incorporation |- | '''Context:''' environmental, lab |- | '''Spatial scale:'..."

2026-05-11T23:35:33Z

Created page with "{{BreadcrumbsPrimaryProduction}} * Page authors: PRIMO * Responsible curator: Hagen Buck-Wiese ---- __TOC__ <div class="model-box"> {| class="model-ib" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em;" ! Phytoplankton carbon content |- | '''Approach:''' elemental analysis (CHN), biovolume conversion, or 13C incorporation |- | '''Context:''' environmental, lab |- | '''Spatial scale:'..."

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{{BreadcrumbsPrimaryProduction}}

* [[Page authors|Page authors]]: [[PRIMO]]
* [[Responsible curator|Responsible curator]]: [[User:Hagi BucknWise|Hagen Buck-Wiese]]
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<div class="model-box">
{| class="model-ib" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em;"
! Phytoplankton carbon content
|-
| '''Approach:''' elemental analysis (CHN), biovolume conversion, or 13C incorporation
|-
| '''Context:''' environmental, lab
|-
| '''Spatial scale:''' point sample; single cell
|-
| '''Temporal scale:''' snapshot
|-
| '''Units:''' µg C L-1; pg C cell-1
|-
| '''Community captured:''' group and bulk
|-
| '''Co-measurements:''' cell abundance
|}
</div>
<div style="clear:both"></div>

== Method Overview ==

Phytoplankton carbon content is measured by several approaches: (1) CHN elemental analysis of GF/F-filtered seawater, which yields bulk particulate organic carbon (POC) including all size fractions retained on the filter; (2) flow cytometric sorting of target cell populations followed by CHN analysis, providing group- or species-specific carbon content; (3) cell biovolume measurements by microscopy or flow cytometry, combined with empirical biovolume-to-carbon conversion relationships<ref name="Strathmann1967">Strathmann, R. R. (1967). Estimating the organic carbon content of phytoplankton from cell volume or plasma volume. ''Limnology and Oceanography'', 12(3), 411–418. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1967.12.3.0411</ref>; or (4) 13C or 14C incorporation tracking over time.

Carbon content estimates are used to normalize primary production rate measurements and to derive carbon-specific growth rates.

=== Scale of measurement ===

Bulk POC measurements provide a community-level point estimate. Single-cell measurements (sorted CHN or nanoSIMS) provide cellular resolution, enabling distinction between carbon-rich and carbon-poor cells.

=== Data generated ===

Bulk POC (µg C L-1) or per-cell carbon content (pg C cell-1). When size-fractionated, contributions from different plankton size classes can be resolved.

=== Units & currency ===

Units are µg C L-1 (bulk) or pg C cell-1. The currency is carbon.

=== Sample size ===

Sample volumes range from single-cell to liters, depending on the approach.

=== Repositories & databases ===

== Limitations ==

Bulk POC includes detrital and non-living carbon; phytoplankton-specific estimates require cell sorting or biovolume conversion. Biovolume-to-carbon conversion factors vary significantly with taxa, physiological state (e.g., nutrient limitation causes C:volume changes), and life stage. CHN analyses require careful procedural blanks and filter pre-combustion to avoid contamination. Detection limits may be a problem in oligotrophic waters.

== Example Applications & Protocols ==

=== Classic examples ===
* Strathmann (1967) ''Estimating the organic carbon content of phytoplankton from cell volume or plasma volume'' <ref name="Strathmann1967" />

=== Recent applications ===
*

=== Common calculations/conversions ===
* Biovolume-to-carbon (non-diatoms): C (pg) = 0.261 × V0.860 (Menden-Deuer & Lessard 2000); for diatoms: C (pg) = 0.288 × V0.811.
* Specific growth rate (d-1) = NPP / Cphyto.

== References ==

[[Category:Main Pages|Model types]]

Carbon content - Revision history