Co-occurring and opposing freshwater inflow effects on phytoplankton biomass, productivity and community composition of Galveston Bay, USA

Roelke, Daniel L.; Li, Hsiu-Ping; Hayden, Natanya J.; Miller, Carrie J.; Davis, Stephen E.; Quigg, Antonietta; Büyükateş, Yeşim

doi:10.3354/meps10182

Cited by 55 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…For instance, most phytoplankton taxa (e.g., diatom, chlorophyte and cryptophyte) can be positively stimulated by fresh inflows due to their relatively rapid growth rate (Paerl et al, 2003). However, Roelke et al (2013) also documented that cyanobacteria and haptophytes in the upper GB were not sensitive to nutrient-rich waters from both rivers due to the extra nutrients obtained from N 2 -fixation abilities and mixotrophic characteristics, respectively. In the lower part of GB, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria are known to be more dominant during the low-river discharge due to their preference for higher phosphorus (P) compared to some other groups, and to low turbulence (Lee, 2017), and thus are generally inversely related to the fresh inflows (Lee, 2017;Roelke et al, 2013).…”

Section: Response Of Phytoplankton Taxa To Environmental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Floodwater impact on Galveston Bay phytoplankton taxonomy, pigment composition and photo-physiological state following Hurricane Harvey from field and ocean color (Sentinel-3A OLCI) observations

2019

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Abstract. Phytoplankton taxonomy, pigment composition and photo-physiological state were studied in Galveston Bay (GB), Texas (USA), following the extreme flooding associated with Hurricane Harvey (25–29 August 2017) using field and satellite ocean color observations. The percentage of chlorophyll a (Chl a) in different phytoplankton groups was determined from a semi-analytical IOP (inherent optical property) inversion algorithm. The IOP inversion algorithm revealed the dominance of freshwater species (diatom, cyanobacteria and green algae) in the bay following the hurricane passage (29 September 2017) under low salinity conditions associated with the discharge of floodwaters into GB. Two months after the hurricane (29–30 October 2017), under more seasonal salinity conditions, the phytoplankton community transitioned to an increase in small-sized groups such as haptophytes and prochlorophytes. Sentinel-3A Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI)-derived Chl a obtained using a red ∕ NIR (near-infrared) band ratio algorithm for the turbid estuarine waters was highly correlated (R2>0.90) to the (high-performance liquid chromatography) HPLC-derived Chl a. Long-term observations of OLCI-derived Chl a (August 2016–December 2017) in GB revealed that hurricane-induced Chl a declined to background mean state in late October 2017. A non-negative least squares (NNLS) inversion model was then applied to OLCI-derived Chl a maps of GB to investigate spatiotemporal variations of phytoplankton diagnostic pigments pre- and post-hurricane; results appeared consistent with extracted phytoplankton taxonomic composition derived from the IOP inversion algorithm and microplankton pictures obtained from an Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB). OLCI-derived diagnostic pigment distributions also exhibited good agreement with HPLC measurements during both surveys, with R2 ranging from 0.40 for diatoxanthin to 0.96 for Chl a. Environmental factors (e.g., floodwaters) combined with phytoplankton taxonomy also strongly modulated phytoplankton physiology in the bay as indicated by measurements of photosynthetic parameters with a fluorescence induction and relaxation (FIRe) system. Phytoplankton in well-mixed waters (mid-bay area) exhibited maximum PSII photochemical efficiency (Fv∕Fm) and a low effective absorption cross section (σPSII), while the areas adjacent to the shelf (likely nutrient-limited) showed low Fv∕Fm and elevated σPSII values. Overall, the approach using field and ocean color data combined with inversion models allowed, for the first time, an assessment of phytoplankton response to a large hurricane-related floodwater perturbation in a turbid estuarine environment based on its taxonomy, pigment composition and physiological state.

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Section: Response Of Phytoplankton Taxa To Environmental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Floodwater impact on Galveston Bay phytoplankton taxonomy, pigment composition and photo-physiological state following Hurricane Harvey from field and ocean color (Sentinel-3A OLCI) observations

2019

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“…Effects of river flooding on the coastal carbon cycle, induced by changes in the phytoplankton community, can vary (Roelke et al, 2013;Dorado et al, 2015). Increased inorganic nutrient levels would promote large microphytoplankton, such as diatoms (Shangguan et al, 2017a), since they have a competitive advantage when nutrient inputs are high (Legendre and Rassoulzadegan, 1995;Duarte et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of Coastal Phytoplankton to High Inflows of Terrestrial Matter

Paczkowska¹,

Brügel²,

Rowe

et al. 2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Climate change scenarios project that precipitation will increase in northern Europe, causing amplified inflows of terrestrial matter (tM) and inorganic nutrients to coastal areas. How this will affect the plankton community is poorly understood. A mesocosm experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of two levels of tM inputs on the composition, size-structure and productivity of a natural coastal phytoplankton community from the northern Baltic Sea. The tM addition caused browning of the water and decreased underwater light levels, while the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and inorganic nutrients increased. Microphytoplankton were promoted by tM addition, while in the controls picophytoplankton dominated the phytoplankton community. Inorganic nutrient availability was instrumental in defining the phytoplankton community composition and size-structure. As a response to tM addition, the phytoplankton increased their chlorophyll a content. This physiological adaptation helped to maintain high primary production rates at the low tM enrichment, but at the high tM load the primary production decreased as did the biomass of mesozooplankton. The ciliate biomass was high when the mesozooplankton biomass was low, indicating that a trophic cascade occurred in the system. Structural equation modeling showed that tM borne DOC promoted ciliates, while primary and bacterial production were disfavored. Thus, DOC originating from soils had an indirect negative effect on the mesozooplankton by reducing their food availability. Although, a positive correlation between heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton suggested coupling between phytoplankton produced carbon and heterotrophs growth. The results from our study indicate that river-borne DOC and inorganic nutrients have a large impact on the phytoplankton community, driving the system to the dominance of large diatoms. However, since river-borne humic substances cause browning of the water, phytoplankton increase their light harvesting pigments. At moderate inflow this helps to support the primary production, but at high inflows of terrestrial material the primary production will decrease. As high river inflows have been projected to be a consequence of climate change, we foresee that primary production will decrease in coastal areas in the future, and the impacts of such changes on the food web could be significant.

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“…Hydraulic replacement time scales (

V / Q_{r}

) ranging between 12 and 88 days have been reported in the literature by Santschi [] and Roelke et al . [] based on annual average and extreme river discharge values. We will demonstrate the variability of this time scale and make the conclusion that it is only valid during high river discharge conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time scales in Galveston Bay: An unsteady estuary

et al. 2016

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Estuarine time scales including the turnover, particle e‐folding time, the age (calculated with a passive tracer), and residence time (calculated with Lagrangian particles) were computed using a three‐dimensional hydrodynamic model of Galveston Bay, a low‐flow, partially stratified estuary. Time scales were computed during a time period when river flow varied by several orders of magnitude and all time scales therefore exhibited significant temporal variability because of the unsteadiness of the system. The spatial distributions of age and residence time were qualitatively similar and increased from 15 days in a shipping channel to >45 days in the upper estuary. Volume‐averaged age and residence time decreased during high‐flow conditions. Bulk time scales, including the freshwater and salinity turnover times, were far more variable due to the changing river discharge and salt flux through the estuary mouth. A criterion for calculating a suitable averaging time is discussed to satisfy a steady state assumption and to estimate a more representative bulk time scale. When scaled with a freshwater advective time, all time scales were approximately equal to the advective time scale during high‐flow conditions and many times higher during low‐flow conditions. The mean age, Lagrangian residence, and flushing times exhibited a relationship that was weakly dependent on the freshwater advective time scale demonstrating predictability even in an unsteady, realistic estuary.

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Co-occurring and opposing freshwater inflow effects on phytoplankton biomass, productivity and community composition of Galveston Bay, USA

Cited by 55 publications

References 59 publications

Floodwater impact on Galveston Bay phytoplankton taxonomy, pigment composition and photo-physiological state following Hurricane Harvey from field and ocean color (Sentinel-3A OLCI) observations

Floodwater impact on Galveston Bay phytoplankton taxonomy, pigment composition and photo-physiological state following Hurricane Harvey from field and ocean color (Sentinel-3A OLCI) observations

Response of Coastal Phytoplankton to High Inflows of Terrestrial Matter

Time scales in Galveston Bay: An unsteady estuary

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