ABSTRACT
Originating from the Anglo-Saxon word iren, its chemical symbol taken from the Latin ferrum, the element iron (Fe) has been known to humans since ancient times, and no other element has played a more important role in man’s material progress. Iron is a vital constituent of plant and animal life, and with a relative abundance of 5.6%, it is the fourth most abundant element in the earth’s crust (Taylor, 1964). The element is arguably the most important trace metal in seawater, although it exists at extremely low concentrations (subnanomolar) in open-ocean environments (Martin and Fitzwater,
12.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 235 12.2 Sampling ............................................................................................................................. 238
12.2.1 Discrete Water Column Proling .......................................................................... 238 12.2.2 Surface Water Pumping ........................................................................................240 12.2.3 In Situ Pumping ....................................................................................................240 12.2.4 Sediment Traps ......................................................................................................240
