Rustproof Iron

As nitrogen is to crop plants, iron is to aquatic life. So far this iron was believed to be washed down to the sea by rivers. A team of oceanographers discovered iron that comes from fissures in the deep sea floor and is captured by organic compounds. This prevents the iron from rusting. It is also better metabolized by aquatic organisms. This research proves that life at the surface is linked to events happening at the extreme bottom. More studies are required to gauge exactly how much of the iron taken up by aquatic life is released by the sea floor. The study was published in the February 8 issue of Nature Geoscience.

Source: Down To Earth, March 2009