Confirming the “Rapid phosphorus transfer from microorganisms to mesozooplankton in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea” scenario through a mesocosm experiment

Pitta, Paraskevi; Nejstgaard, Jens C.; Tsagaraki, Tatiana M.; Zervoudaki, Soultana; Egge, Jorun K.; Frangoulis, Constantin; Lagaria, Anna; Magiopoulos, Iordanis; Psarra, Stella; Sandaa, Ruth‐Anne; Skjoldal, Evy Foss; Tanaka, Tsuneo; Thyrhaug, Runar; Thingstad, T. Frede

doi:10.1093/plankt/fbw010

Cited by 31 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The Chl.a values were similar to those measured in EMS offshore waters Ignatiades et al, 2009;Rahav et al, 2013), to those in coastal waters off Crete (Psarra et al, 2000;Pitta et al, 2016;Tsiola et al, 2016), and off Israel (Kress et al, 2005;Raveh et al, 2015). PP was somewhat higher than offshore waters and somewhat lower than observations off the Israeli coastal waters recorded at the same season.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…The most important nutrient elements controlling primary productivity in the Eastern Mediterranean are phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Previous studies have demonstrated that the system is P limited in winter during the annual phytoplankton bloom (Krom et al, 1991) and N&P co-limited for phytoplankton during the spring/summer Zohary et al, 2005;Pitta et al, 2016;Rahav et al, 2016;Tsiola et al, 2016). All of the inorganic N supplied from the atmosphere is bioavailable, since it is present as water-soluble ammonium or nitrate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Response of the Eastern Mediterranean Microbial Ecosystem to Dust and Dust Affected by Acid Processing in the Atmosphere

et al. 2016

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Acid processes in the atmosphere, particularly those caused by anthropogenic acid gases, increase the amount of bioavailable P in dust and hence are predicted to increase microbial biomass and primary productivity when supplied to oceanic surface waters. This is likely to be particularly important in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS), which is P limited during the winter bloom and N&P co-limited for phytoplankton in summer. However, it is not clear how the acid processes acting on Saharan dust will affect the microbial biomass and primary productivity in the EMS. Here, we carried out bioassay manipulations on EMS surface water on which Saharan dust was added as dust (Z), acid treated dust (ZA), dust plus excess N (ZN), and acid treated dust with excess N (ZNA) during springtime (May 2012) and measured bacterioplankton biomass, metabolic, and other relevant chemical and biological parameters. We show that acid treatment of Saharan dust increased the amount of bioavailable P supplied by a factor of ∼40 compared to non-acidified dust (18.4 vs. 0.45 nmoles P mg −1 dust, respectively). The increase in chlorophyll, primary, and bacterial productivity for treatments Z and ZA were controlled by the amount of N added with the dust while those for treatments ZN and ZNA (in which excessive N was added) were controlled by the amount of P added. These results confirm that the surface waters were N&P co-limited for phytoplankton during springtime. However, total chlorophyll and primary productivity in the acid treated dust additions (ZA and ZNA) were less than predicted from that calculated from the amount of the potentially limiting nutrient added. This biological inhibition was interpreted as being due to labile trace metals being added with the acidified dust. A probable cause for this biological inhibition was the addition of dissolved Al, which forms potentially toxic Al Krom et al.Acidified Dust to E. Med. Microcosm nanoparticles when added to seawater. Thus, the effect of anthropogenic acid processes in the atmosphere, while increasing the flux of bioavailable P from dust to the surface ocean, may also add toxic trace metals such as Al, which moderate the fertilizing effect of the added nutrients.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of the Eastern Mediterranean Microbial Ecosystem to Dust and Dust Affected by Acid Processing in the Atmosphere

et al. 2016

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“…In fact, some of the added trace metals, such as Fe or Zn, are key cofactors for many enzymatic reactions in the marine environment, including photosynthesis and N 2 fixation (Falkowski, 1997;Sohm et al, 2011), and may contribute to enhancing production. Table 3, Table S1), which may relieve nutrient stress for autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial biomass and activity in the surface SEMS (i.e., Kress et al, 2005;Zohary et al, 2005;Pitta et al, 2016) (Table 3), which constitutes ∼50 and 5-10% of the nutrient concentration typically reported for this system during summer, respectively (Kress et al, 2014;Raveh et al, 2015). Due to the extremely oligotrophic nature of the SEMS, any amendment might prove to be important and may alter microbial dynamics via the release of scarce, key-limiting nutrients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the extremely oligotrophic nature of the SEMS, any amendment might prove to be important and may alter microbial dynamics via the release of scarce, key-limiting nutrients. For example, several authors showed that inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) may enhance algae biomass and growth rates in the SEMS water (Kress et al, 2005;Lagaria et al, 2011;Pitta et al, 2016), whereas P Zohary et al, 2005) or dissolved organic a Leaching experiments were performed as described in Chen et al (2006Chen et al ( , 2007. b Assuming a 1.05 mg L −1 dust deposition in the upper mixed layer (5 m).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Atmospheric Dry Deposition Associated Microbes on the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea Surface Water following an Intense Dust Storm

et al. 2016

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This study explores the potential impacts of microbes deposited into the surface seawater of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) along with atmospheric particles on marine autotrophic and heterotrophic production. We compared in situ changes in autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial abundance and production rates before and during an intense dust storm event in early September 2015. Additionally, we measured the activity of microbes associated with atmospheric dry deposition (also referred to as airborne microbes) in sterile SEMS water using the same particles collected during the dust storm. A high diversity of prokaryotes and a low diversity of autotrophic eukaryotic algae were delivered to surface SEMS waters by the storm. Autotrophic airborne microbial abundance and activity were low, contributing ∼1% of natural abundance in SEMS water and accounting for 1-4% to primary production. Airborne heterotrophic bacteria comprised 30-50% of the cells and accounted for 13-42% of bacterial production. Our results demonstrate that atmospheric dry deposition may supply not only chemical constitutes but also microbes that can affect ambient microbial populations and their activity in the surface ocean. Airborne microbes may play a greater role in ocean biogeochemistry in the future in light of the expected enhancement of dust storm durations and frequencies due to climate change and desertification processes.

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“…The response of bacteria to P-addition in the Eastern Mediterranean has been seen during a Lagrangian experiment (Krom et al, 2005b;Pitta et al, 2005;Thingstad et al, 2005) and verified during a mesocosm experiment . On the other hand, the increase in the autotrophic production and biomass may be attributed to the simultaneous addition of N and P through the added dust since phytoplankton has been found to be N and P-co-limited in the area Pitta et al, 2016).…”

Section: Figure 9 | (A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Saharan Dust Deposition Effects on the Microbial Food Web in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Study Based on a Mesocosm Experiment

et al. 2017

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The effect of episodicity of Saharan dust deposition on the pelagic microbial food web was studied in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean by means of a mesocosm experiment in May 2014. Two different treatments in triplicates (addition of natural Saharan dust in a single-strong pulse or in three smaller consecutive doses of the same total quantity), and three unamended controls were employed; chemical and biological parameters were measured during a 10-day experiment. Temporal changes in primary (PP) and bacterial (BP) production, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and heterotrophic bacteria, Synechococcus and mesozooplankton abundance were studied. The results suggested that the auto-and hetero-trophic components of the food web (at least the prokaryotes) were enhanced by the dust addition (and by the nitrogen and phosphorus added through dust). Furthermore, a 1-day delay was observed for PP, BP, and Chl a increases when dust was added in three daily doses; however, the maximal values attained were similar in the two treatments. Although, the effect was evident in the first osmotrophic level (phytoplankton and bacteria), it was lost further up the food web, masked under the impact of grazing exerted by predators such as heterotrophic flagellates, ciliates and dinoflagellates. This was partly proved by two dilution experiments. This study demonstrates the important role of atmospheric deposition and protist grazing when evaluating the effect on oligotrophic systems characterized by increased numbers of trophic levels.

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Confirming the “Rapid phosphorus transfer from microorganisms to mesozooplankton in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea” scenario through a mesocosm experiment

Cited by 31 publications

References 60 publications

Response of the Eastern Mediterranean Microbial Ecosystem to Dust and Dust Affected by Acid Processing in the Atmosphere

Response of the Eastern Mediterranean Microbial Ecosystem to Dust and Dust Affected by Acid Processing in the Atmosphere

The Impact of Atmospheric Dry Deposition Associated Microbes on the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea Surface Water following an Intense Dust Storm

Saharan Dust Deposition Effects on the Microbial Food Web in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Study Based on a Mesocosm Experiment

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