Oceanic and estuarine ammonium oxidation: Effects of light

Abstract

We examined the effect of light on the oxidation of NH 4 + to NO 2 by oceanic and estuarine bacteria. Inhibition of NH 4 + oxidation by light was more pronounced in the oceanic isolates. The estuarine bacteria, isolated from Chesapeake Bay, produced NO 2 − at a rate faster than the oceanic isolates. We conclude that photoinhibition of NH 4 + oxidation may be less important in estuarine environments than in oceanic ones.