Biofilm-like properties of the sea surface and predicted effects on air–sea CO2 exchange

Wurl, Oliver; Stolle, Christian; Thuộc, Chu Văn; Thư, Phạm Thế; Mari, Xavier

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2016.03.002

Cited by 85 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Containment errors supporting increased bacterial cell numbers might be especially relevant for SML samples, which are particularly substrate-rich and, thus, attractive to bacteria [6]. Our observations fit with findings from Pomeroy, Sheldon and Sheldon [40] of a 23% increase in bacterial cell numbers in dark-incubated SML samples from the start to end of the incubation period for Pacific station 9 (Supplement Data S2: Cell counts St.9 SISI).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Despite having a maximum thickness of 1 mm, the SML has profoundly different physico-chemical and biological characteristics compared to the underlying water column [1][2][3]. In addition, due to the accumulation of organic matter and surface-active molecules [4,5], the SML constitutes a unique biofilm-like habitat for microorganisms [3,6]. Life within the SML is heavily influenced by a range of "extreme" conditions such as enhanced solar and ultraviolet (UV) radiation [7][8][9], strong wind-wave dynamics [10,11] and the accumulation of pollutants [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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SISI: A New Device for In Situ Incubations at the Ocean Surface

Rahlff

Stolle

Wurl

2017

JMSE

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Abstract:The sea-surface microlayer (SML) forms the uppermost boundary layer between atmosphere and ocean, and has distinctive physico-chemical and biological features compared to the underlying water. First findings on metabolic contributions of microorganisms to gas exchange processes across the SML raised the need for new in situ technologies to explore plankton-oxygen turnover in this special habitat. Here, we describe an inexpensive research tool, the Surface In Situ Incubator (SISI), which allows simultaneous incubations of the SML, and water samples from 1 m and 5 m, at the respective depths of origin. The SISI is deployed from a small boat, seaworthy up to 5 bft (Beaufort scale), and due to global positioning system (GPS) tracking, capable of drifting freely for hours or days. We tested the SISI by applying light/dark bottle incubations in the Baltic Sea and the tropical Pacific Ocean under various conditions to present first data on planktonic oxygen turnover rates within the SML, and two subsurface depths. The SISI offers the potential to study plankton-oxygen turnover within the SML under the natural influence of abiotic parameters, and hence, is a valuable tool to routinely monitor their physiological role in biogeochemical cycling and gas exchange processes at, and near, the sea surface.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SISI: A New Device for In Situ Incubations at the Ocean Surface

Rahlff

Stolle

Wurl

2017

JMSE

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“…Additionally, such surfactants also increase the propensity of less surface-active compounds to enrich there as well, creating a unique chemical environment, affecting not only chemistry but also trace-gas 10 exchange. 5,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] A major source of biogenic surfactants in the ambient environment are so-called biofilms, loosely defined as a population of microorganisms (i.e., fungi, algae, archaea) that accumulate at an interface. In addition, such microorganisms can also form cellular aggregates not attached to a surface, sometimes also referred to as flocs or sludge, which have very similar characteristics as 15 biofilms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interfacial photochemistry of biogenic surfactants: a major source of abiotic volatile organic compounds

et al. 2017

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15Films of biogenic compounds exposed to the atmosphere are ubiquitously found on surfaces of cloud droplets, aerosol particles, buildings, plants, soils, and the ocean. These air/water interfaces host countless amphiphilic compounds concentrated there with respect to bulk water, leading to a unique chemical environment. Here, photochemical processes at the air/water interface of biofilmcontaining solutions were studied, demonstrating abiotic VOC production from authentic biogenic 20 surfactants under ambient conditions. Using a combination of online-APCI-HRMS and PTR-ToF-MS, unsaturated and functionalized VOCs were identified and quantified, giving emission fluxes comparable to previous field and laboratory observations. Interestingly, VOC fluxes increased with the decay of microbial cells in the samples, indicating that cell lysis due to cell death was the main source for surfactants, and VOC production. In particular, irradiation of samples containing solely 25 biofilm cells without matrix components exhibited the strongest VOC production upon irradiation. In agreement with previous studies, LC-MS measurements of the liquid phase suggested the presence of fatty acids and known photosensitizers, possibly inducing the observed VOC production via peroxy-radical chemistry. Up to now such VOC emissions were directly accounted to high biological activity in surface waters. However, the obtained results suggest that abiotic photochemistry can 30 lead to similar emissions into the atmosphere, especially in less biologically-active regions.Furthermore, chamber experiments suggested that oxidation (O 3 /OH-radicals) of the photochemically-produced VOCs leads to aerosol formation and growth, possibly affecting 2 atmospheric chemistry and climate-related processes, such as cloud formation or the Earth's radiation budget. 3 IntroductionAir/water interfaces are omnipresent in the ambient atmosphere, reaching from the nm-scale for single aerosol particles to the surface of the ocean, which covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface. In the past, it was shown that unique photochemical reactions with significant implications for atmospheric processes can occur at such interfaces, leading to the formation of volatile organic 5 compounds (VOCs) 1-5 and secondary organic aerosols, 6 or acting as sinks for reactive species, such as NO 2 or ozone. [7][8][9][10] This interfacial photochemistry is exclusively due to the presence of surfactants which tend to concentrate in surface layers with respect to the underlying bulk water. Additionally, such surfactants also increase the propensity of less surface-active compounds to enrich there as well, creating a unique chemical environment, affecting not only chemistry but also trace-gas 10 exchange. 5,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] A major source of biogenic surfactants in the ambient environment are so-called biofilms, loosely defined as a population of microorganisms (i.e., fungi, algae, archaea) that accumulate at an interface. In addition, such microorganisms can also form cel...

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“…C.-C. Sun et al: Variation in gel particles in the SML as a function of wind speed mediate winds (Calleja et al, 2009;Mesarchaki et al, 2015;Wurl et al, 2016;Engel and Galgani, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of wind speed on the size distribution of gel particles in the sea surface microlayer: insights from a wind–wave channel experiment

2018

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Abstract. Gel particles, such as transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and Coomassie stainable particles (CSP), are important organic components in the sea surface microlayer (SML). Here, we present results on the effect of different wind speeds on the accumulation and size distribution of TEP and CSP during a wind wave channel experiment in the Aeolotron. Total areas of TEP (TEP SML ) and CSP (CSP SML ) in the surface microlayer were exponentially related to wind speed. At wind speeds < 6 m s −1 , accumulation of TEP SML and CSP SML occurred, decreasing at wind speeds of > 8 m s −1 . Wind speeds > 8 m s −1 also significantly altered the size distribution of TEP SML in the 2-16 µm size range towards smaller sizes. The response of the CSP SML size distribution to wind speed varied through time depending on the biogenic source of gels. Wind speeds > 8 m s −1 decreased the slope of CSP SML size distribution significantly in the absence of autotrophic growth. For the slopes of TEP and CSP size distribution in the bulk water, no significant difference was observed between high and low wind speeds. Changes in spectral slopes between high and low wind speed were higher for TEP SML than for CSP SML , indicating that the impact of wind speed on size distribution of gel particles in the SML may be more pronounced for TEP than for CSP, and that CSP SML are less prone to aggregation during the low wind speeds. Addition of an E. huxleyi culture resulted in a higher contribution of submicron gels (0.4-1 µm) in the SML at higher wind speed (> 6 m s −1 ), indicating that phytoplankton growth may potentially support the emission of submicron gels with sea spray aerosol.

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Biofilm-like properties of the sea surface and predicted effects on air–sea CO2 exchange

Cited by 85 publications

References 56 publications

SISI: A New Device for In Situ Incubations at the Ocean Surface

SISI: A New Device for In Situ Incubations at the Ocean Surface

Interfacial photochemistry of biogenic surfactants: a major source of abiotic volatile organic compounds

Effect of wind speed on the size distribution of gel particles in the sea surface microlayer: insights from a wind–wave channel experiment

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