Photosynthesis of picoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean

Platt, Trevor; Rao, D. V. Subba; Irwin, B.

doi:10.1038/301702a0

Cited by 362 publications

(154 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In agreement, many size-fractionated P-E experiments generally conclude that picophytoplankton show higher photosynthetic efficiency and assimilation numbers than larger cells (Platt et al, 1983;Joint and Pomroy, 1986;Frenette et al, 1996). Nevertheless, Fernández et al (2003) pointed out that only a few such measurements were conducted in the open oligotrophic ocean.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and production in the tropical Atlantic

Moreno-Ostos¹,

Fernández²,

Huete-Ortega³

et al. 2010

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: Two meridional transects were conducted in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic to describe (i) the spatial variability of total and size-fractionated (picophytoplankton and phytoplankton >2 mm) chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration and primary production, (ii) the relative contribution of each phytoplankton size fraction to total biomass and carbon fixation, and (iii) the spatial variability of size-fractionated phytoplankton growth rate (P/B) and assimilation number (P/chl a) in the ocean. The highest chl a for both size fractions was observed in the Western Tropical Atlantic province (WTRA), while the lowest chl a was found in the upper mixed layer (UML) of the South Atlantic Tropical gyre (SATL). A similar pattern was found for carbon fixation. Within the SATL, the highest picophytoplankton contribution to total production was recorded at the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum (DCM), while the contribution of phytoplankton >2 mm was higher in the UML. Additionally, the relative contribution of large phytoplankton to total integrated primary production was higher than its contribution to total biomass. Both size fractions depicted maximum P/B and P/chl a in WTRA surface waters. In the SATL province, phytoplankton >2 mm showed the highest P/B and P/chl a along the UML, while picophytoplankton P/B and P/chl a peaked around the DCM. We suggest that the differential impact of light on small and large phytoplankton may help to explain the contrasting dynamics of the two size classes.Keywords: phytoplankton, cell size, spatial variability, oligotrophic subtropical gyres, primary production, biomass.RESUMEN: Biomasa y producción en diferentes clases de tamaño de fitoplancton en el Atlántico tropical.-Se realizaron dos transectos latitudinales en el Atlántico tropical y subtropical para describir (i) la variabilidad espacial de la concentración de clorofila a (chl a) y de la producción primaria total y fraccionada en clases de tamaño de fitoplancton (picofitoplancton y fitoplancton >2 mm), (ii) la contribución relativa de cada clase de tamaño a la biomasa y fijación de carbono total, y (iii) la variabilidad espacial de la tasa de crecimiento (P/B) y del número de asimilación (P/chl a) para cada clase de tamaño en el océano. Las dos clases de tamaño consideradas presentaron la máxima chl a en el afloramiento ecuatorial y la mínima en la capa de mezcla del giro oligotrófico del Atlántico Sur. Se encontró un patrón similar en el caso de la fijación de carbono. En el giro oligotrófico del Atlántico Sur la mayor contribución del picofitoplancton a la producción total se registró en torno al máximo profundo de clorofila, mientras que la contribución de la fracción >2 mm fue mayor en la capa de mezcla. Además, la contribución relativa del fitoplancton >2 mm a la producción primaria total fue mayor que su contribución a la biomasa total. Ambas clases de tamaño presentaron máximos valores de P/B y P/chl a en las aguas superficiales del afloramiento ecuatorial. En el giro oligotrófico del Atlántico Sur la fracción de fitoplancto...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and production in the tropical Atlantic

Moreno-Ostos¹,

Fernández²,

Huete-Ortega³

et al. 2010

Sci. Mar.

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“…Marine picoplankton are essential components of food webs in the oceans, particularly in oligotrophic environments, where photosynthetic picoplankton are responsible for as much as 50-80 % of the total carbon production (Li et al, 1983 ;Platt, Rao & Irwin, 1983 ; Fogg, 1986 ;Stockner & Antia, 1986). Micromonas pusilla is of typical picoeukaryotic size (0n8-1n0i1n0-2n0 µm), has a single flagellum and occurs in tropical, temperate and Arctic waters (Johnson & Sieburth, 1982 ;Raven, 1986 ; Lee, 1992).…”

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Picoplankton are dominant in oligotrophic waters (Platt et al, 1983) where, because of their small size, they might possess a competitive advantage over nanoplankton under conditions of nutrient limitation (Raven, 1986). Micromonas pusilla is a major component of the eukaryotic phytoplankton biomass in the euphotic zone of the oligotrophic regions of temperate oceans (Simon et al, 1994).…”

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon dioxide‐concentrating mechanism and the development of extracellular carbonic anhydrase in the marine picoeukaryote Micromonas pusilla

1998

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A range of marine photosynthetic picoeukaryote phytoplankton species grown in culture were screened for the presence of extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA ext ), a key enzyme in inorganic carbon acquisition under carbonlimiting conditions in some larger marine phytoplankton species. Of the species tested, extracellular carbonic anhydrase was detected only in Micromonas pusilla Butcher. The rapid, light-dependent development of CA ext when cells were transferred from carbon-replete to carbon-limiting conditions was regulated by the available free-CO # concentration and not by total dissolved inorganic carbon. Kinetic studies provided support for a CO # -concentrating mechanism in that the K ! n & [CO # ] (i.e. the CO # concentration required for the half-maximal rate of photosynthesis) was substantially lower than the K m [CO # ] of Rubisco from related taxa, whilst the intracellular carbon pool was at least seven fold greater than the extracellular DIC concentration, for extracellular DIC values 1n0 m. It is proposed that when the flux of CO # into the cell is insufficient to support the photosynthetic rate at an optimum photon irradiance, the development of CA ext increases the availability of CO # at the plasma membrane. This ensures rapid acclimation to environmental change and provides an explanation for the central role of M. pusilla as a carbon sink in oligotrophic environments.Key words : Dissolved inorganic carbon, CO # -concentrating mechanism, extracellular carbonic anhydrase, Micromonas pusilla Butcher. Marine picoplankton are essential components of food webs in the oceans, particularly in oligotrophic environments, where photosynthetic picoplankton are responsible for as much as 50-80 % of the total carbon production (Li et al., 1983 ;Platt, Rao & Irwin, 1983 ; Fogg, 1986 ;Stockner & Antia, 1986). Micromonas pusilla is of typical picoeukaryotic size (0n8-1n0i1n0-2n0 µm), has a single flagellum and occurs in tropical, temperate and Arctic waters (Johnson & Sieburth, 1982 ;Raven, 1986 ; Lee, 1992). Although a major component of the eukaryotic plankton biomass, the mode of photosynthetic carbon utilization in the eukaryotic picoplankton species including M. pusilla has received little * To whom correspondence should be addressed at (present address) : School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK. E-mail : M.D.Iglesias-Rodriguez!bristol.ac.uk attention. The high affinity for inorganic carbon of the majority of marine phytoplankton species suggests the occurrence of a CO # -concentrating mechanism (CCM) in order to increase the CO # concentration at the site of Rubisco (Raven, 1991). This CO # accumulation might be a result of uptake of CO # from the bulk medium, uptake of bicarbonate with subsequent conversion of bicarbonate to CO # , or CO # entry after the catalytic conversion of bicarbonate to CO # outside the plasma membrane via CA ext . The relationship between size of organism and the need for a CCM suggested a decreasing requireme...

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“…It has become evident that these very small phytoplankters make a significant contribution to total phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll in the oceans (Berman 1975;Li et al 1983;Platt et al 1983). The use of epifluorescence microscopy (Hobbie et al 1977) led to the discovery of the ubiquitous occurrence of minute phycoerythrinrich cyanobacteria at concentrations of 1 07-' Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Contribution 83027.…”

Section: Most Of Us Who Have Worked With Open Ocean Phytoplanktonmentioning

confidence: 99%

The distribution and abundance of phototrophic ultraplankton in the North Atlantic1,2

Murphy

Haugen

1985

Limnology & Oceanography

336

205

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We compared the vertical distribution and abundances of procaryotic chroococcoid cyanobacteria (Synechococcus) and eucaryotic phototrophic ultraplankton at 50 stations in the North Atlantic. At 34 of these stations, cells were also separated by filter-size fractionation, permitting comparison of the distribution of size classes with the distribution of pigment types. Both eucaryotic ultraplankton and cyanobacteria have subsurface numerical maxima. In vertically stable water, cyanobacterial abundance peaks at about the 1% light level and that of the eucaryotic ultraplankton at about the 0.5% light level. Cyanobacterial abundance decreases with northerly increasing latitude, and this decrease correlates with decreasing temperature. The eucaryotic assemblage is numerically dominated by the ultraplankton.The numbers of the ultraplankton generally range one order of magnitude less than the cyanobacteria, but they may equal or exceed cyanobacteria at depth and in northerly latitudes.

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Photosynthesis of picoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean

Cited by 362 publications

References 20 publications

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and production in the tropical Atlantic

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and production in the tropical Atlantic

Carbon dioxide‐concentrating mechanism and the development of extracellular carbonic anhydrase in the marine picoeukaryote Micromonas pusilla

The distribution and abundance of phototrophic ultraplankton in the North Atlantic1,2

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