The cycling of phosphorus (P) in the ocean has long been viewed from a geol
ogical perspective that tends to focus on balancing P sources (riverine and
atmospheric) and sinks (sedimentary burial) over long (> 1000 years) time
scales. There have been substantially fewer treatises, however, that have s
ought to review current understanding of the processes which effect the dis
tribution of P between these two endpoints. In this paper, a comprehensive
review of the biogeochemical cycling of P within the oceans is given, with
particular attention focused on the composition and recycling rates of P wi
thin the water column. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.