Influence of allochthonous dissolved organic matter on pelagic basal production in a northerly estuary

Andersson, Agneta; Brügel, Sonia; Paczkowska, Joanna; Rowe, Owen; Figueroa, Daniela; Kratzer, Susanne; Legrand, Catherine

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2018.02.032

Cited by 43 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…However, our results also indicate that tM inflows can have a positive effect on coastal primary production if the tM carries nutrients to the recipient system and DOC and humic substances loads are not exceeded. In general, our experimental results are in agreement with an earlier field study, where Andersson et al (2018) found that in the upper part of an estuary in the northern Baltic Sea river-borne tM had a hindering effect on primary production when the DOC concentration exceeded 6 mg l −1 . Our results also match the proposed humpshaped relationship between tM inflows to lake ecosystems and productivity (Seekell et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

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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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Response of Coastal Phytoplankton to High Inflows of Terrestrial Matter

Paczkowska¹,

Brügel²,

Rowe

et al. 2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…The source of DOM can also be important as it may affect the phytoplankton community composition by favoring certain species (Jurgensone and Aigars, 2012). In the future, a warmer climate might lead to more precipitation and increased input of allochthonous DOM, in particular in the Northern Baltic Sea , which might reduce light-dependent primary production and increase the importance of pelagic, heterotrophic bacteria (Wikner and Andersson, 2012;Andersson et al, 2018).…”

Section: Role Of Dissolved Organic Matter In Pelagic Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Changes to both temperature and freshwater inflow have the potential to change stratification of water layers, with direct implications for vertical transport of O 2 and for planktonic life forms, in particular during the build-up of stratification in spring (Stipa, 2004). Input of freshwater will also influence the concentration of dissolved organic matter with implication for light dependent phytoplankton (Andersson et al, 2018). At present, freshwater induced stratification is important for the initial start of the spring bloom, but thermal stratification may become more important in the future (Hordoir and Meier, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifting Diatom—Dinoflagellate Dominance During Spring Bloom in the Baltic Sea and its Potential Effects on Biogeochemical Cycling

et al. 2018

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The Baltic Sea is affected by a range of human induced environmental pressures such as eutrophication. Here we synthesize the ongoing shift from diatom dominance toward more dinoflagellates in parts of the Baltic Sea during the spring bloom and its potential effects on biogeochemical cycling of key elements (e.g., C, N, and P). The spring bloom is the period with the highest annual primary production and sinking of organic matter to the sediment. The fate of this organic matter is a key driver for material fluxes, affecting ecosystem functioning and eutrophication feedback loops. The dominant diatoms and dinoflagellates appear to be functionally surrogates as both groups are able to effectively exhaust the wintertime accumulation of inorganic nutrients and produce bloom level biomass that contribute to vertical export of organic matter. However, the groups have very different sedimentation patterns, and the seafloor has variable potential to mineralize the settled biomass in the different sub-basins. While diatoms sink quickly out of the euphotic zone, dinoflagellates sink as inert resting cysts, or lyse in the water column contributing to slowly settling phyto-detritus. The dominance by either phytoplankton group thus directly affects both the summertime nutrient pools of the water column and the input of organic matter to the sediment but to contrasting directions. The proliferation of dinoflagellates with high encystment efficiency could increase sediment retention and burial of organic matter, alleviating the eutrophication problem and improve the environmental status of the Baltic Sea.

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“…To date, most mechanistic understanding related to ter-OM effects on aquatic ecosystems comes from systems where aquatic ter-OM concentrations are amongst the highest globally, namely boreal freshwaters and the Baltic Sea (Sobek et al, 2007;Kirk, 2010). Here, ter-OM has been recognized for decades as a fundamental driver of aquatic ecosystem productivity, ecosystem structure, functioning, and greenhouse gas emission through its light-absorbing, nutrient-and carbon-providing properties (i.e., Figure 2; Solomon et al, 2015;Andersson et al, 2018;Creed et al, 2018). However, there is increasing evidence that there are similar processes involved for ter-OM processing and cycling when entering systems with comparably lower concentrations than above, such as the Amazon or the Mississippi river to ocean continuum, the Great Barrier reef, and the Arctic Ocean (Figure 1) (Fabricius, 2005;Seidel et al, 2015;Duan et al, 2017;Tanski et al, 2017).…”

Section: Case Studies Of Altered Ter-om Loads To Coastal Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reevaluating the Role of Organic Matter Sources for Coastal Eutrophication, Oligotrophication, and Ecosystem Health

Deininger

Frigstad

2019

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Organic matter (OM) in aquatic systems is either produced internally (autochthonous OM) or delivered from the terrestrial environment (ter-OM). For eutrophication (or the reverse-oligotrophication), the amount of autochthonous OM plays a key role for coastal ecosystem health. However, the influence of ter-OM on eutrophication or oligotrophication processes of coastal ecosystems is largely unclear. Therefore, ter-OM, or ter-OM proxies are currently not included in most policies or monitoring programs on eutrophication. Nevertheless, ter-OM is increasingly recognized as a strong driver of aquatic productivity: By influencing underwater light conditions and nutrient-and carbon availability, increased ter-OM input may shift systems from autotrophic toward heterotrophic production, but also alter the interactions between benthic, and pelagic habitats. Thus, by changing baseline conditions in coastal zones, ongoing, and predicted changes in inputs of ter-OM due to climate change (e.g., in precipitation) and anthropogenic activities (e.g., reduced sulfate deposition, damming, and coastal erosion) may strongly modify eutrophication symptoms within affected ecosystems, but also hinder recovery from eutrophication following a reduction in nutrient loadings (i.e., oligotrophication). In this review, we aim to shed light upon the role of ter-OM for coastal eutrophication and oligotrophication processes and ecosystem health. Specifically, we (1) discuss the theoretical interactions between ter-OM and eutrophication and oligotrophication processes in coastal waters, (2) present global case studies where altered ter-OM supply to coastal ecosystems has shifted baseline conditions, with implications for eutrophication and oligotrophication processes, and (3) provide an outlook and recommendations for the future management of coastal zones given changes in ter-OM input. We conclude that it is essential to include and target all OM sources (i.e., also ter-OM) in monitoring programs to better understand the consequences of both eutrophication and oligotrophication processes on coastal ecosystems. Our review strongly urges to include ter-OM, or ter-OM proxies in eutrophication monitoring, and policies to safeguard coastal ecosystem health also under changing climatic conditions and globally increasing anthropogenic perturbations of coastal ecosystems.

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Influence of allochthonous dissolved organic matter on pelagic basal production in a northerly estuary

Cited by 43 publications

References 43 publications

Response of Coastal Phytoplankton to High Inflows of Terrestrial Matter

Response of Coastal Phytoplankton to High Inflows of Terrestrial Matter

Shifting Diatom—Dinoflagellate Dominance During Spring Bloom in the Baltic Sea and its Potential Effects on Biogeochemical Cycling

Reevaluating the Role of Organic Matter Sources for Coastal Eutrophication, Oligotrophication, and Ecosystem Health

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