A global dataset of nitrogen fixation rates across inland and coastal waters

Robinson W Fulweiler^{1

2}, Megan E Berberich³, Shelby A Rinehart⁴, Jason M Taylor⁵, Michelle C Kelly³, Nicholas E Ray⁶, Autumn Oczkowski⁷, Sawyer J Balint¹, Alexandra H Geisser², Catherine R Mahoney¹, Mar Benavides^{8

9

10}, Matthew J Church¹¹, Brianna Loeks¹², Silvia E Newell¹³, Malin Olofsson¹⁴, Jimmy C Oppong¹⁵, Sarah S Roley¹⁶, Carmella Vizza¹⁷, Samuel T Wilson¹⁸, Peter M Groffman^{19

20}, J Thad Scott²¹, Amy M Marcarelli³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.
⁴ Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁵ Water Quality & Ecology Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Mississippi, USA.
⁶ School of Marine Science & Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, USA.
⁷ Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
⁸ National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, UK.
⁹ Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France.
¹⁰ Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
¹¹ Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA.
¹² Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
¹³ School of the Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
¹⁵ Institute of Environmental Studies, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
¹⁶ School of the Environment, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Natural Science, Hawai'i Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
¹⁸ School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
¹⁹ Earth and Environmental Science, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Brooklyn College, New York, New York, USA.
²⁰ Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, New York, New York, USA.
²¹ Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.

PMID: 40667513
PMCID: PMC12261516
DOI: 10.1002/lol2.10459

A global dataset of nitrogen fixation rates across inland and coastal waters

Robinson W Fulweiler et al. Limnol Oceanogr Lett. 2025.

. 2025 Jun 1;10(3):412-429.

doi: 10.1002/lol2.10459.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.
⁴ Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁵ Water Quality & Ecology Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Mississippi, USA.
⁶ School of Marine Science & Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, USA.
⁷ Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
⁸ National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, UK.
⁹ Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France.
¹⁰ Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
¹¹ Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA.
¹² Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
¹³ School of the Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
¹⁵ Institute of Environmental Studies, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
¹⁶ School of the Environment, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Natural Science, Hawai'i Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
¹⁸ School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
¹⁹ Earth and Environmental Science, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Brooklyn College, New York, New York, USA.
²⁰ Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, New York, New York, USA.
²¹ Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.

PMID: 40667513
PMCID: PMC12261516
DOI: 10.1002/lol2.10459

Abstract

Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of dinitrogen (N₂) gas into bioavailable nitrogen by microorganisms with consequences for primary production, ecosystem function, and global climate. Here we present a compiled dataset of 4793 nitrogen fixation (N₂-fixation) rates measured in the water column and benthos of inland and coastal systems via the acetylene reduction assay, ¹⁵N₂ labeling, or N₂/Ar technique. While the data are distributed across seven continents, most observations (88%) are from the northern hemisphere. ¹⁵N₂ labeling accounted for 67% of water column measurements, while the acetylene reduction assay accounted for 81% of benthic N₂-fixation observations. Dataset median area-, volume-, and mass-normalized N₂-fixation rates are 7.1 μmol N₂-N m^-2 h^-1, 2.3 × 10^-4 μmol N₂-N L^-1 h^-1, and 4.8 × 10^-4 μmol N₂-N g^-1 h^-1, respectively. This dataset will facilitate future efforts to study and scale N₂-fixation contributions across inland and coastal aquatic environments.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Fig. 1.**
Geographic locations of N₂-fixation rate measurements by habitat included in this dataset. F.W. Wetlands stands for freshwater wetlands.

**Fig. 2.**
N₂-fixation rate observations separated by reported sampling month for the northern and southern hemispheres (columns) and habitats (rows). NA means study did not report sampling month.

**Fig. 3.**
Histogram of N₂-fixation rates by substrate (rows) and method (color).

**Fig. 4.**
N₂-fixation rates by habitat and method separated by units.

**Fig. 5.**
Literature selection flowchart for the development of this dataset.

**Fig. 6.**
Overview of major recommendations to improve our understanding of N₂-fixation across inland and coastal waters.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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A global dataset of nitrogen fixation rates across inland and coastal waters

Affiliations

A global dataset of nitrogen fixation rates across inland and coastal waters

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Grants and funding