Remineralization ratios in the subtropical North Pacific gyre

Based on a new mixing model of two end-members, the water column reminerali zation ratios of P/N/C-org - O-2 = 1/13 +/- 1/135 +/- 18/170 +/- 9 are obta ined for the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) data set at station ALOHA. The traditional Redfield ratios of P/N/C-org/-O-2 = 1/16/106/138 have standard deviations of more than 50%, when they are based on the average composition of phytoplankton. Apparently, the remineralization processes in the water column have smoothed out the observed large variability of plankton composi tions. A new molar formula for the remineralized plankton may be written as C135H280O105N13P or C-25(CH2O)(101)(CH4)(9)(NH3)(13)(H3PO4). Oxidation of this formula results in C-25(CH2O)(101)(CH4)(9)(NH3)(13)(H3PO4) + 170O(2) --> 135CO(2) + 132H(2)O 13NO(3)(-) + H2PO4- + 14H(+). For comparison, remineralization using Redfield's formula gives: (CH2O)(106)(NH3)(16)(H3PO4) + 138O(2) --> 106CO(2) + 122H(2)O + 16NO(3)(-) H2PO4- + 17H(+).