Articles | Volume 22, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1767-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1767-2025
Technical note
 | 
09 Apr 2025
Technical note |  | 09 Apr 2025

Technical note: Testing a new approach for the determination of N2 fixation rates by coupling a membrane equilibrator to a mass spectrometer for long-term observations

Sören Iwe, Oliver Schmale, and Bernd Schneider

Cited articles

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Short summary
We present a novel method for quantifying N2 fixation by cyanobacteria, which is crucial in Baltic Sea eutrophication. Our Gas Equilibrium – Membrane-Inlet Mass Spectrometer (GE-MIMS), designed for operation on voluntary observing ships (VOSs), enables large-scale monitoring of surface water N2 depletion caused by N2 fixation. Laboratory tests confirm the device’s accuracy and precision, ensuring that it can complement current methods and contribute valuable data for better understanding N2 fixation in the Baltic Sea.
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