The Influence of Plankton on the Phosphate Content of Stored Sea-Water

Abstract

1. The alteration in soluble phosphate content of untreated sea-water during storage is governed by the conditions of storage—a strong light, favourable to growth, produces a decrease, while darkness, unfavourable to growth, produces an increase. 2. Samples from the surface layers of the sea give greater increases on storage in the dark than samples from deeper water, the extent of the increase being conditioned by the number and quantity of planktonic organisms included in the water sample.