Dissolved inorganic nutrients including 5 macro nutrients: silicate, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium from water column bottle samples collected during annual cruise along western Antarctic Peninsula, 1991 - 2018.

The inorganic plant macronutrients dissolved phosphate, silicate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium are the major sources of nutrition for phytoplankton growth in seawater (with sunlight and inorganic carbon). Macronutrient distributions reflect the large-scale circulation patterns in the oceans and are useful properties to delineate water masses. Dissolved inorganic nutrients samples are typically collected in every CTD/Rosette cast performed on the annual LTER cruises along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Water samples are analyzed for dissolved nutrients with recognized standard oceanographic protocols for nutrient autoanalyzers (continuous flow analyzers). In Antarctic waters, dissolved inorganic macronutrients are seldom depleted to limiting concentrations except during heavy prolonged phytoplankton blooms. This is due to the fact that phytoplankton growth is more often limited by light or iron, and to the short growing season.

海水中的溶解态磷酸盐、硅酸盐、硝酸盐、亚硝酸盐与铵盐等植物无机大量营养素，辅以阳光与无机碳，是浮游植物生长的主要营养来源。大量营养素的分布特征能够反映海洋的大尺度环流模式，亦是划分水团的有效物性参数。在南极半岛西部海域的年度长期生态研究（Long-Term Ecological Research, LTER）航次中，每次下放温盐深仪/罗塞塔采水器（CTD/Rosette）开展站位采样时，均会采集溶解态无机营养盐样品。所采集的水样将采用针对营养盐自动分析仪（连续流动分析仪）的公认海洋学标准操作规程，完成溶解态营养盐的分析测试。在南极海域，除发生大规模持续的浮游植物水华事件外，溶解态无机大量营养素极少被消耗至生长限制浓度。这是因为浮游植物的生长通常更易受光照或铁元素限制，且南极海域的生长季较为短暂。