Is There a Seamount Effect on Microbial Community Structure and Biomass? The Case Study of Seine and Sedlo Seamounts (Northeast Atlantic)

Mendonça, Ana; Arı́stegui, Javier; Vilas, Juan Carlos; Montero, María F.; Ojeda, Antonio A. Ramón; Espino, Minerva; Martins, Ana

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029526

Cited by 49 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Consequently, the effect of seamounts on biological communities may be highly intermittent and difficult to observe on the spatial and temporal scales accessible by vessel-based research. Mendonca et al [27] observed higher microbial biomass and abundance on the summit of Seine and Sedlo seamounts in the North Atlantic Ocean, compared with a reference background sample. We cannot provide insight into potential differences between on-seamount and off-seamount samples, but we were able to investigate within seamount differences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seamounts are very dynamic hydrological habitats and may in some instances create local enhancement of large autotrophic cells and picoplankton (i.e. near the summit or flanks of seamounts) [27]. Surveying seamounts on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) we present a comparative study of the three-dimensional microbial biogeography around seamounts from the subantarctic to the subtropics in a dynamic frontal system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Microbe biogeography tracks water masses in a dynamic oceanic frontal system

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dispersal limitation, not just environmental selection, plays an important role in microbial biogeography. The distance–decay relationship is thought to be weak in habitats where dispersal is high, such as in the pelagic environment, where ocean currents facilitate microbial dispersal. Most studies of microbial community composition to date have observed little geographical heterogeneity on a regional scale (100 km). We present a study of microbial communities across a dynamic frontal zone in the southwest Indian Ocean and investigate the spatial structure of the microbes with respect to the different water masses separated by these fronts. We collected 153 samples of free-living microorganisms from five seamounts located along a gradient from subtropical to subantarctic waters and across three depth layers: (i) the sub-surface chlorophyll maximum (approx. 40 m), (ii) the bottom of the euphotic zone (approx. 200 m), and (iii) the benthic boundary layer (300–2000 m). Diversity and abundance of microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assessed by amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Multivariate analyses showed that microbial communities were structured more strongly by depth than by latitude, with similar phyla occurring within each depth stratum across seamounts. The deep layer was homogeneous across the entire survey area, corresponding to the spread of Antarctic intermediate water. However, within both the sub-surface layer and the intermediate depth stratum there was evidence for OTU turnover across fronts. The microbiome of these layers appears to be divided into three distinct biological regimes corresponding to the subantarctic surface water, the convergence zone and subtropical. We show that microbial biogeography across depth and latitudinal gradients is linked to the water masses the microbes persist in, resulting in regional patterns of microbial biogeography that correspond to the regional scale physical oceanography.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbe biogeography tracks water masses in a dynamic oceanic frontal system

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is considered to be an oligotrophic region with low nutrient and phytoplankton concentrations (Mendonça et al, 2012). Aveiro, in the Northern coast of Portugal is a region that is typically influenced by seasonal upwelling due to the northerly winds occurring during summer.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of phytoplankton size classes on bio-optical properties of phytoplankton in the Western Iberian coast: Application of models

Brito

Sá

Brotas

et al. 2015

Remote Sensing of Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Chlorophyll-a satellite products are routinely used in oceanography, providing a synoptic and global view of phytoplankton abundance. However, these products lack information on the community structure of the phytoplankton, which is crucial for ecological modelling and ecosystem studies. To assess the usefulness of existing methods to differentiate phytoplankton functional types (PFT) or phytoplankton size classes from satellite data, in-situ phytoplankton samples collected in the Western Iberian coast, on the North-East Atlantic, were analysed for pigments and absorption spectra. Water samples were collected in five different locations, four of which were located near the shore and another in an open-ocean, seamount region. Three different modelling approaches for deriving phytoplankton size classes were applied to the in situ data. Approaches tested provide phytoplankton size class information based on the input of pigments data (Brewin et al., 2010), absorption spectra data (Ciotti et al., 2002) or both (Uitz et al., 2008). Following Uitz et al. (2008), results revealed high variability in microphytoplankton chlorophyll-specific absorption coefficients, ranging from 0.01 to 0.09 m 2 (mg chl) −1 between 400 and 500 nm. This spectral analysis suggested, in one of the regions, the existence of small cells (b 20 μm) in the fraction of phytoplankton presumed to be microphytoplankton (based on diagnostic pigments). Ciotti et al. (2002) approach yielded the highest differences between modelled and measured absorption spectra for the locations where samples had high variability in community structure and cell size. The Brewin et al. (2010) pigment-based model was adjusted and a set of model coefficients are presented and recommended for future studies in offshore water of the Western Iberian coast.

show abstract

“…Isotopic evidence indicates that antipatharian corals feed on suspended matter derived from surface production (Roark et al 2006, Sherwood et al 2008, which can be influenced by local hydrographic patterns. In the Azores, information on near-bottom oceanographic conditions (currents, temperatures, and biogeochemical parameters) is scarce and regional models provide only coarse information; however, there is evidence that current circulation and local upwelling− downwelling patterns around seamounts are distinct from the surrounding ocean in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, producing a diverse and complex physical environment (Vilas et al 2009, Mendonça et al 2012. Preliminary data on particulate organic carbon (POC) influx for Condor Seamount suggest that POC concentrations can be nearly 2 orders of magnitude greater on the northern slope relative to the southern slope (A. Colaço pers.…”

Section: Variability In Growth Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in growth rates of long-lived black coral Leiopathes sp. from the Azores

Carreiro‐Silva¹,

Andrews²,

Braga-Henriques³

et al. 2013

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Five colonies of black coral Leiopathes sp. were collected as bycatch from depths of 293 to 366 m from the Condor, Açor, and Voador seamounts (Azores region). The colonies had axial diameters between 4.9 and 33.1 mm and heights between 43 and 175 cm. Their ages and radial growth rates were estimated using radiocarbon dating. Results indicated that the smallest and largest colonies had similar radial growth rates of 5 to 7 µm yr −1 , whereas the other 3 colonies had grown more rapidly by a factor of 3 to 5 at ~20 to 30 µm yr −1. Colony lifespan ranged between 265 ± 90 and 2320 ± 90 yr. Fine-scale sampling along a radial transect from the edge to the center of the 2320 yr old Leiopathes sp. revealed variable growth rates throughout the colony lifespan. Slower radial growth rates of ~4 to 5 µm yr −1 were recorded over the initial 1600 yr and the last 300 yr of its life span, and a period of more rapid growth (20 µm yr −1 ) over the intermediate 400 yr of its life. Variability in radial growth rates among colonies resulted in colony ages that were not linearly correlated to colony axis diameter or height. Our findings of great longevity and slow growth rates for Leiopathes sp. agree with other Leiopathes sp. age and growth studies, indicating that colony and population recovery from damage or removal may take centuries to millennia. KEY WORDS: Antipatharia · Cold-water corals · Deep-sea · Growth · Longevity · Radiocarbon · Northeast AtlanticResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher OPEN PEN

show abstract

Is There a Seamount Effect on Microbial Community Structure and Biomass? The Case Study of Seine and Sedlo Seamounts (Northeast Atlantic)

Cited by 49 publications

References 54 publications

Microbe biogeography tracks water masses in a dynamic oceanic frontal system

Microbe biogeography tracks water masses in a dynamic oceanic frontal system

Effect of phytoplankton size classes on bio-optical properties of phytoplankton in the Western Iberian coast: Application of models

Variability in growth rates of long-lived black coral Leiopathes sp. from the Azores

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About