scholarly journals Pelagic microbial heterotrophy in response to a highly productive bloom of Phaeocystis antarctica in the Amundsen Sea Polynya, Antarctica

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Williams ◽  
A.M. Dupont ◽  
J. Loevenich ◽  
A.F. Post ◽  
J. Dinasquet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Bacterial Respiration ◽  
Pump Efficiency ◽  
Amundsen Sea ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Phaeocystis Antarctica

Abstract Heterotrophic bacteria play a key role in marine carbon cycling, and understanding their activities in polar systems is important for considering climate change impacts there. One goal of the ASPIRE project was to examine the relationship between the phytoplankton bloom and bacterial heterotrophy in the Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP). Bacterial abundance, production (BP), respiration, growth efficiency, and extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) were compared to nutrient and organic matter inventories, chlorophyll a (Chl a), viral and microzooplankton abundance, and net primary production (NPP). Bacterial production and respiration clearly responded (0.04–4.0 and 10–53 µg C L−1 d−1, respectively) to the buildup of a massive Phaeocystis antarctica bloom (Chl a: 0.2–22 µg L−1), with highest rates observed in the central polynya where Chl a and particulate organic carbon (POC) were greatest. The highest BP rates exceeded those reported for the Ross Sea or any other Antarctic coastal system, yet the BP:NPP ratio (2.1–9.4%) was relatively low. Bacterial respiration was also high, and growth efficiency (2–27%; median = 10%) was similar to oligotrophic systems. Thus, the integrated bacterial carbon demand (0.8–2.8 g C m−2 d−1) was a high fraction (25–128%; median = 43%) of NPP during bloom development. During peak bloom, activity was particle-associated: BP and EEA correlated well with POC, and size fractionation experiments showed that the larger size fraction (> 3 µm) accounted for a majority (∼ 75%) of the BP. The community was psychrophilic, with a 5x reduction in BP when warmed to 20°C. In deeper waters, respiration remained relatively high, likely fueled by the significant downward particle flux in the region. A highly active, particle-associated, heterotrophic microbial community clearly responded to the extraordinary phytoplankton bloom in the ASP, likely limiting biological pump efficiency during the early season.

scholarly journals Particle flux on the continental shelf in the Amundsen Sea Polynya and Western Antarctic Peninsula

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh W. Ducklow ◽  
Stephanie E. Wilson ◽  
Anton F. Post ◽  
Sharon E. Stammerjohn ◽  
Matthew Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Particle Flux ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Bacterial Respiration ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Western Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Amundsen Sea ◽  
Incubation Experiments ◽  
Phaeocystis Antarctica

Abstract We report results from a yearlong, moored sediment trap in the Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP), the first such time series in this remote and productive ecosystem. Results are compared to a long-term (1992–2013) time series from the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The ASP trap was deployed from December 2010 to December 2011 at 350 m depth. We observed two brief, but high flux events, peaking at 8 and 5 mmol C m−2 d−1 in January and December 2011, respectively, with a total annual capture of 315 mmol C m−2. Both peak fluxes and annual capture exceeded the comparable WAP observations. Like the overlying phytoplankton bloom observed during the cruise in the ASP (December 2010 to January 2011), particle flux was dominated by Phaeocystis antarctica, which produced phytodetrital aggregates. Particles at the start of the bloom were highly depleted in 13C, indicating their origin in the cold, CO2-rich winter waters exposed by retreating sea ice. As the bloom progressed, microscope visualization and stable isotopic composition provided evidence for an increasing contribution by zooplankton fecal material. Incubation experiments and zooplankton observations suggested that fecal pellet production likely contributed 10–40% of the total flux during the first flux event, and could be very high during episodic krill swarms. Independent estimates of export from the surface (100 m) were about 5–10 times that captured in the trap at 350 m. Estimated bacterial respiration was sufficient to account for much of the decline in the flux between 50 and 350 m, whereas zooplankton respiration was much lower. The ASP system appears to export only a small fraction of its production deeper than 350 m within the polynya region. The export efficiency was comparable to other polar regions where phytoplankton blooms were not dominated by diatoms.

scholarly journals A Dynamic Link between Ice Nucleating Particles Released in Nascent Sea Spray Aerosol and Oceanic Biological Activity during Two Mesocosm Experiments

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina S. McCluskey ◽  
Thomas C. J. Hill ◽  
Francesca Malfatti ◽  
Camille M. Sultana ◽  
Christopher Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Sea Spray ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Phytoplankton Blooms ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Mesocosm Experiments ◽  
Sea Spray Aerosol

Abstract Emission rates and properties of ice nucleating particles (INPs) are required for proper representation of aerosol–cloud interactions in atmospheric models. Few investigations have quantified marine INP emissions, a potentially important INP source for remote oceanic regions. Previous studies have suggested INPs in sea spray aerosol (SSA) are linked to oceanic biological activity. This proposed link was explored in this study by measuring INP emissions from nascent SSA during phytoplankton blooms during two mesocosm experiments. In a Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (MART) experiment, a phytoplankton bloom was produced with chlorophyll-a (Chl a) concentrations reaching 39 μg L−1, while Chl a concentrations more representative of natural ocean conditions were obtained during the Investigation into Marine Particle Chemistry and Transfer Science (IMPACTS; peak Chl a of 5 μg L−1) campaign, conducted in the University of California, San Diego, wave flume. Dynamic trends in INP emissions occurred for INPs active at temperatures > −30°C. Increases in INPs active between −25° and −15°C lagged the peak in Chl a in both studies, suggesting a consistent population of INPs associated with the collapse of phytoplankton blooms. Trends in INP emissions were also compared to aerosol composition, abundances of microbes, and enzyme activity. In general, increases in INP concentrations corresponded to increases in organic species in SSA and the emissions of heterotrophic bacteria, suggesting that both microbes and biomolecules contribute to marine INP populations. INP trends were not directly correlated with a single biological marker in either study. Direct measurements of INP chemistry are needed to accurately identify particles types contributing to marine INP populations.

scholarly journals Effects of varied nitrate and phosphate supply on polysaccharidic and proteinaceous gel particles production during tropical phytoplankton bloom experiments

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 6589-6635 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Engel ◽  
C. Borchard ◽  
A. Loginova ◽  
J. Meyer ◽  
H. Hauss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Nitrogen Loss ◽  
Nutrient Ratios ◽  
Element Cycling ◽  
Subsequent Formation ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Gel Particles

Abstract. It has been suggested that oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) will expand in the tropical oceans as a result of global change with potential consequences for marine element cycling, such as an increase in anaerobic nitrogen loss, resulting in a lower supply of nitrate relative to phosphate to the euphotic zone. So far, the effects of changes in nutrient ratios on organic matter recycling and export fluxes are not well understood. Here, were investigated how different phosphate (Varied P: 0.15–1.58 μmol L−1) or nitrate (Varied N: 1.9–21.9 μmol L−1) concentrations affect the abundance and size distribution of polysaccharidic transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), which are suggested to enhance particle aggregation and export fluxes, and on proteinaceous coomassie stainable particles (CSP), a supposedly good substrate for heterotrophic bacteria. Two series of mesocosm bloom experiments were conducted with natural plankton communities collected from the Eastern Tropical North Atlantic (ETNA) close to Cape Verde in October 2012. Until bloom peak, a positive correlation between gel particle abundance and Chl a concentration was determined, linking the release of dissolved gel precursors and the subsequent formation of gel particles to autotrophic production. After bloom peak, gel particle abundance remained stable or even increased, implying a continued partitioning of dissolved into particulate organic matter after biomass production itself ceased. During both experiments, differences between TEP and CSP dynamics were observed; TEP were generally more abundant than CSP. Changes in size distribution indicated aggregation of TEP during the bloom, while newly formed CSP decomposed. Abundance of gel particles clearly increased with nitrate concentration during the second experiment, suggesting that changes in [DIN]:[DIP] ratios can affect gel particle formation with potential consequences for carbon and nitrogen cycling as well as food web dynamics in tropical ecosystems.

scholarly journals Assessing Phytoplankton Bloom Phenology in Upwelling-Influenced Regions Using Ocean Color Remote Sensing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 675
Author(s):  
Afonso Ferreira ◽  
Vanda Brotas ◽  
Carla Palma ◽  
Carlos Borges ◽  
Ana C. Brito
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Ocean Color ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Ocean Color Remote Sensing ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Peak Biomass ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities

Phytoplankton bloom phenology studies are fundamental for the understanding of marine ecosystems. Mismatches between fish spawning and plankton peak biomass will become more frequent with climate change, highlighting the need for thorough phenology studies in coastal areas. This study was the first to assess phytoplankton bloom phenology in the Western Iberian Coast (WIC), a complex coastal region in SW Europe, using a multisensor long-term ocean color remote sensing dataset with daily resolution. Using surface chlorophyll a (chl-a) and biogeophysical datasets, five phenoregions (i.e., areas with coherent phenology patterns) were defined. Oceanic phytoplankton communities were seen to form long, low-biomass spring blooms, mainly influenced by atmospheric phenomena and water column conditions. Blooms in northern waters are more akin to the classical spring bloom, while blooms in southern waters typically initiate in late autumn and terminate in late spring. Coastal phytoplankton are characterized by short, high-biomass, highly heterogeneous blooms, as nutrients, sea surface height, and horizontal water transport are essential in shaping phenology. Wind-driven upwelling and riverine input were major factors influencing bloom phenology in the coastal areas. This work is expected to contribute to the management of the WIC and other upwelling systems, particularly under the threat of climate change.

scholarly journals Response of heterotrophic and autotrophic microbial plankton to inorganic and organic inputs along a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1701-1713 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Martínez-García ◽  
E. Fernández ◽  
A. Calvo-Díaz ◽  
E. Marañón ◽  
X. A. G. Morán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Bacterial Growth ◽  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Bacterial Growth Efficiency ◽  
Organic Nutrient ◽  
Plankton Biomass ◽  
Latitudinal Transect ◽  
Microbial Plankton

Abstract. The effects of inorganic and/or organic nutrient inputs on phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria have never been concurrently assessed in open ocean oligotrophic communities over a wide spatial gradient. We studied the effects of potentially limiting inorganic (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silica) and organic nutrient (glucose, aminoacids) inputs added separately as well as jointly, on microbial plankton biomass, community structure and metabolism in five microcosm experiments conducted along a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean (from 26° N to 29° S). Primary production rates increased up to 1.8-fold. Bacterial respiration and microbial community respiration increased up to 14.3 and 12.7-fold respectively. Bacterial production and bacterial growth efficiency increased up to 58.8-fold and 2.5-fold respectively. The largest increases were measured after mixed inorganic-organic nutrients additions. Changes in microbial plankton biomass were small as compared with those in metabolic rates. A north to south increase in the response of heterotrophic bacteria was observed, which could be related to a latitudinal gradient in phosphorus availability. Our results suggest that organic matter inputs will result in a predominantly heterotrophic versus autotrophic response and in increases in bacterial growth efficiency, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Subtle differences in the initial environmental and biological conditions are likely to result in differential microbial responses to inorganic and organic matter inputs.

scholarly journals STUDY ON CYCLONE INDUCED PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM IN THE ARABIAN SEA THROUGH GAP-FREE RECONSTRUCTED CHLOROPHYLL-A DATA

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B3-2020 ◽  
pp. 1391-1396
Author(s):  
R. Shunmugapandi ◽  
S. Gedam ◽  
A. B. Inamdar
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Suitable Condition ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Cyclone Track ◽  
Chl A ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Ocean surface phytoplankton responses to the tropical cyclone (TC)/storms have been extensively studied using satellite observations by aggregating the data into a weekly or bi-weekly composite. The reason behind is the significant limitations found in the satellite-based observation is the missing of valid data due to cloud cover, especially at the time of cyclone track passage. The data loss during the cyclone is found to be a significant barrier to efficiently investigate the response of chl-a and SST during cyclone track passage. Therefore it is necessary to rectify the above limitation to effectively study the impact of TC on the chlorophyll-a concentration (chl-a) and the sea surface temperature (SST) to achieve a complete understanding of their response to the TC prevailed in the Arabian Sea. Intending to resolve the limitation mentioned above, this study aims to reconstruct the MODIS-Aqua chl-a, and SST data using Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Function (DINEOF) for all the 31 cyclonic events occurred in the Arabian Sea during 2003-2018 (16 years). Reconstructed satellite retrieved data covering all the cyclonic events were further used to investigate the chl-a and SST dynamics during TC. From the results, the exciting fact has been identified that only two TC over the eastern-AS were able to induce phytoplankton bloom. On investigating this scenario using sea surface temperature, it was disclosed that the availability of nutrients decides the suitable condition for the phytoplankton to proliferate in the surface ocean. Relevant to the precedent criterion, the results witnessed that the 2 TC (Phyan and Ockhi cyclone) prevailed in the eastern AS invoked a suitable condition for phytoplankton bloom. Other TC found to be less provocative either due to less intensity, origination region or the unsuitable condition. Thereby, gap-free reconstructed daily satellite-derived data efficiently investigates the response of bio-geophysical parameters during cyclonic events. Moreover, this study sensitised that though several TC strikes the AS, only two could impact phytoplankton productivity and SST found to highly consistent with the chl-a variability during the cyclone passage.

scholarly journals Global distribution and variability of subsurface chlorophyll a concentration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayaka Yasunaka ◽  
Tsuneo Ono ◽  
Kosei Sasaoka ◽  
Kanako Sato
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Subsurface Layer ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Chl A

Abstract. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) often retains its maximum concentration not at the surface but in the subsurface layer. The depth of the Chl-a maximum primarily depends on the balance between light penetration from the surface and nutrient supply from the deep ocean. However, a global map of subsurface Chl-a concentrations based on observations has not been presented yet. In this study, we integrate Chl-a concentration data not only from recent biogeochemical floats but also from historical ship-based and other observations, and present global maps of subsurface Chl-a concentration with related variables. The subsurface Chl-a maximum deeper than the mixed layer depth was stably observed in the subtropics and tropics (30° S to 30° N), only in summer in midlatitudes (30–40° N/S), and rarely at 45–60° S of the Southern Ocean and in the northern North Atlantic (north of 45° N). The depths of the subsurface Chl-a maxima are deeper than those of the euphotic layer in the subtropics and shallower in the tropics and midlatitudes. In the subtropics, seasonal oxygen increases below the mixed layer implied substantial biological new production, which corresponds to 10 % of the net primary production there. During El Niño, the subsurface Chl-a concentration in the equatorial Pacific is higher in the middle to the east and lower in the west than that during La Niña, which is opposite that on the surface. The spatiotemporal variability of the Chl-a concentration described here would be suggestive results not only for the biogeochemical cycle in the ocean but also for the thermal structure and the dynamics of the ocean via the absorption of shortwave radiation.

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