Marine phosphorus is selectively remineralized

Phosphorus is a vital nutrient of the world's oceans1,2, where in vast regions it is associated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters3,4. We have characterized the major compound classes of high-molecular-weight marine dissolved organic phosphorus, phosphorus esters and phosphonates, by using tangential-flow ultrafiltration and phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR). We find that the composition and abundance of organic phosphorus in DOM differ significantly from the values in fresh organic matter, indicating that dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) is preferentially remineralized from DOM.