Maximal growth rates of Antarctic phytoplankton: Only weak dependence on cell size

Sommer, Ulrich

doi:10.4319/lo.1989.34.6.1109

Cited by 76 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The extrapolation of the relationship between phytoplankton cell size and growth rate (Banse 1982) yields predicted maximal growth rates of about 0.33 d -1 at the summer temperatures in Antarctic waters (cf. Sommer 1989), and the gross growth rates of large Antarctic diatoms have been reported to be < 0.6 d -1 (Sommer 1989, Mura & Agustí 1996. The maximal net growth rates observed here exceed the predicted maximal population growth rates by 3-fold, and the calculated gross growth rates of the mesocosm community are 4-fold greater than these maximal values.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…The maximum exponential growth rates possible for the large diatoms (e.g. Thalassiosira antarctica) that often dominate Antarctic waters at in situ temperatures are believed to be on the order of about 0.3 d -1 (Banse 1982, Sommer 1989, Mura & Agustí 1996, and seem to be realised in situ (Mura & Agustí 1996). Even low loss rates would suffice to prevent biomass accumulation if Antarctic phytoplankton grow at suboptimal rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to possible limiting factors, the capacity of Antarctic phytoplankton to realise the potential primary production possible with the nutrients present is believed to be constrained by the low maximum intrinsic growth rates believed to be possible in cold waters (e.g. Sommer 1989). The maximum exponential growth rates possible for the large diatoms (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental induction of a large phytoplankton bloom in Antarctic coastal waters

Agustı́¹,

Duarte²

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The experimental enclosure of an Antarctic planktonic community in a large (35 m 3 ) mesocosm moored in Johnson's Dock (62°39.576' S, 60°22.408' W, Livingston Island, Bransfield Sector, Antarctica) was followed by a large phytoplankton bloom. This bloom, dominated by the large diatom Thalassiosira antarctica, reached a biomass 1000-fold greater than in the ambient waters. The net growth rate of T. antarctica averaged 0.53 ± 0.17 d -1 , with maximum net growth rates close to 1.0 d -1 , exceeding the predicted maximal population growth rates by 60 to 200%. The gross primary production in the mesocosm (49 mmol C m -3 d -1 ) was about 30 times greater than the concurrent gross production in the ambient waters, while sedimentation losses removed only between 2.1 to 13% of the biomass d -1 and cell mortality was negligible. The bloom development led to a decline of dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations to values several times lower than those in the ambient waters, indicating that the ambient nutrients were both available and sufficient to allow the development of the massive algal bloom observed. Light-limitation of the phytoplankton community was likely the factor responsible for the low biomass and production in ambient waters relative to the mesocosm, as indicated by: (1) limited water transparency of about 1 m, which increased up to 6 m as a result of the sedimentation of the glacial flour in the mesocosm; (2) dense pigment packaging (14.7 ± 3 pg chl a µm -3 ) inside the phytoplankton cells of the community in the ambient waters compared to much lower values (4.2 ± 0.8 pg chl a µm -3 ) in the mesocosm community; (3) a specific light absorption of the phytoplankton community in the ambient waters 10 times higher (average specific PAR absorption ± SE = 0.018 ± 0.0038 m -1 mg chl a -1 ) than in the mesocosm community (0.0087 ± 0.002 m -2 mg -1 chl a); and (4)

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental induction of a large phytoplankton bloom in Antarctic coastal waters

Agustı́¹,

Duarte²

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Cell size has been used to predict sinking rates, nutrient acquisition, light absorption, primary production, and growth, respiratory, and photosynthetic rates in phytoplankton (Joint and Pomroy 1988;Agusti 1991;Kiørboe 1993;Tang 1995). Several studies suggest that the size-scaling exponent of metabolic rates in phytoplankton deviates from the Ϫ1/4 rule, complicating attempts to predict metabolic rates from knowledge of biomass profiles and size spectra (Taguchi 1976;Lewis 1989;Sommer 1989). Some of the variability in the size scaling of phytoplankton metabolism may be a response to environmental conditions.…”

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confidence: 99%

Light absorption and size scaling of light‐limited metabolism in marine diatoms

Finkel¹

2001

Limnology & Oceanography

237

204

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Previous studies have found that the size-scaling exponent of metabolic rates in unicellular algae often deviates from the exponent of Ϫ1/4 usually found for heterotrophs. This study confirms a significant linear relationship between log cell volume (m 3 ) and log intrinsic growth rate (h Ϫ1 ), carbon-normalized photosynthetic capacity and performance (h Ϫ1 ), and carbon-normalized respiratory rate (h Ϫ1 ) for eight marine centric diatoms under nutrientsaturated, light-limited conditions. The intrinsic growth rate and carbon-normalized respiratory rate have size-scaling exponents not significantly different from Ϫ1/4, whereas the carbon-specific photosynthetic rates deviate from Ϫ1/ 4. The size dependence of the optical absorption cross section (m 2 mg chlorophyll a Ϫ1 ) due to the package effect provides a mechanistic model that explains the anomalous size scaling of the anabolic rates of unicellular phytoplankton.

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“…To date, such an examination of algal growth is missing in the literature and most studies deal with blooms in a fairly descriptive way. The only rate evaluations are based on temperature, light and nutrient related differences (Keller, 1989;Sommer, 1989;Wright, 1964). Particularly, precise and generally accepted criteria defining algal blooms in situ are missing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new method of describing phytoplankton blooms: Examples from Helgoland Roads

Mieruch¹,

Freund²,

Feudel³

et al. 2010

Journal of Marine Systems

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Phytoplankton blooms, in their pivotal position in pelagic seasonal succession require precise classification criteria in order to evaluate such parameters as bloom start, bloom timing, bloom maximum and growth rates. Such bloom parameters are linked directly to species and bloom specific features. Currently the phytoplankton bloom concept, though intuitively clear, lacks operational criteria allowing the precise definition of bloom parameters. We present a semi-quantitative method of classification of marine phytoplankton blooms based on an algorithmic estimation of several bloom descriptors computed from densely recorded phytoplankton data, like the Helgoland Roads long-term time series. Combining these descriptors we propose a novel classification scheme which may serve useful in the discussion of species fitness, competition and succession of marine algae. Special emphasis is put on the detection of the bloom start, because of its crucial importance for many current research topics, including trigger mechanisms and climate-induced temporal shifts in the context of the match/mismatch hypothesis. Visual examination of scatter plots of these parameters leads us to propose three types of blooming algae.

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Maximal growth rates of Antarctic phytoplankton: Only weak dependence on cell size

Cited by 76 publications

References 7 publications

Experimental induction of a large phytoplankton bloom in Antarctic coastal waters

Experimental induction of a large phytoplankton bloom in Antarctic coastal waters

Light absorption and size scaling of light‐limited metabolism in marine diatoms

A new method of describing phytoplankton blooms: Examples from Helgoland Roads

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