Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of dinitrogen (N(2)) gas into bioavailable nitrogen by microorganisms with consequences for primary production, ecosystem function, and global climate. Here we present a compiled dataset of 4793 nitrogen fixation (N(2)-fixation) rates measured in the water column and benthos of inland and coastal systems via the acetylene reduction assay, (15)N(2) labeling, or N(2)/Ar technique. While the data are distributed across seven continents, most observations (88%) are from the northern hemisphere. (15)N(2) labeling accounted for 67% of water column measurements, while the acetylene reduction assay accounted for 81% of benthic N(2)-fixation observations. Dataset median area-, volume-, and mass-normalized N(2)-fixation rates are 7.1 μmol N(2)-N m(-2) h(-1), 2.3 × 10(-4) μmol N(2)-N L(-1) h(-1), and 4.8 × 10(-4) μmol N(2)-N g(-1) h(-1), respectively. This dataset will facilitate future efforts to study and scale N(2)-fixation contributions across inland and coastal aquatic environments.