"Atlantic Seaweed Study Reveals Nitrogen Fixation Hotspots"
A long-term study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found significant nitrogen fixation hot spots in sargassum, a brown macroalgae in the seaweed family that floats on the surface of the open ocean. Nitrogen fixation, the process by which microorganisms convert nitrogen into a usable form for other plants and animals, was found to be significant in sargassum communities, potentially contributing to sargassum blooms and supporting marine productivity. The study highlights the importance of sargassum in the marine nitrogen cycle and suggests that previous studies may have underestimated nitrogen fixation in the Atlantic nitrogen budget.