Cell abundance, growth rate, cellular P quotas, and alkaline phosphatase activity from a laboratory experiment examining the response of three species of marine phytoplankton grown under different phosphorus (P) conditions

<p>Three species of marine phytoplankton – <em>Micromonas commoda</em>, <em>Emiliania huxleyi</em>, and <em>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</em> – were grown under four phosphorus (P) conditions. These include phosphate (Pi) replete and deplete conditions and the phosphonate conditions where cultures received either methylphosphonate (MPN) or 2-aminoethylphosphonate (2-AEPN) as the sole source of phosphorus at replete levels. Samples for cell abundance were collected throughout the experiment to monitor growth. In addition, particulate P, to calculate cellular P quota, as well as alkaline phosphatase activity was measured at a single time point when cells were in exponential growth.</p>