Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes to Investigate the Impact of Desalination Brine Discharge on Marine Food Webs

Grossowicz, Michal; Sisma-Ventura, Guy

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00142

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…The surface waters of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) are considered to be a LNLC ultra-oligotrophic system (Siokou-Frangou et al, 2010; Pujo-Pay et al, 2011; Rahav et al, 2013), where PO 4 is the main limiting factor for heterotrophic microbial activity (Krom et al, 1991, 2014; Thingstad et al, 2005) while during summer NO 3 + PO 4 limit phytoplankton (Kress et al, 2005; Zohary et al, 2005). The coastal waters of the SEMS are also considered oligotrophic with low algal biomass (chlorophyll- a ) levels (Berman et al, 1984; Azov, 1986; Herut et al, 2000) and low PP rates (Raveh et al, 2015; Rahav et al, 2018), despite being exposed to various anthropogenic stressors (Frank et al, 2017; Rahav and Bar-Zeev, 2017; Grossowicz et al, 2019; Kress et al, 2019; Raveh et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DOP Stimulates Heterotrophic Bacterial Production in the Oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Coastal Waters

Sisma-Ventura

Rahav

2019

Front. Microbiol.

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Phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria rely on a suite of inorganic and organic macronutrients to satisfy their cellular needs. Here, we explored the effect of dissolved inorganic phosphate (PO 4 ) and several dissolved organic molecules containing phosphorus [ATP, glucose-6-phosphate, 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid, collectively referred to as dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP)], on the activity and biomass of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial populations in the coastal water of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) during summertime. To this end, surface waters were supplemented with PO 4 , one of the different organic molecules, or PO 4 + ATP, and measured the PO 4 turnover time (Tt), alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), heterotrophic bacterial production (BP), primary production (PP), and the abundance of the different microbial components. Our results show that PO 4 alone does not stimulate any significant change in most of the autotrophic or heterotrophic bacterial variables tested. ATP addition (alone or with PO 4 ) triggers the strongest increase in primary and bacterial productivity or biomass. Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and BP respond faster than phytoplankton (24 h post addition) to the various additions of DOP or PO 4 + ATP, followed by a recovery of primary productivity (48 h post addition). These observations suggest that both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial communities compete for labile organic molecules containing P, such as ATP, to satisfy their cellular needs. It also suggests that SEMS coastal water heterotrophic bacteria are likely C and P co-limited.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DOP Stimulates Heterotrophic Bacterial Production in the Oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Coastal Waters

Sisma-Ventura

Rahav

2019

Front. Microbiol.

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“…Large mesozooplankton (333 mm mesh size, upper water column) δ 15 N values in the EMS show an enrichment trend across a west-east transect (SE Crete mean δ 15 N value ~2.0‰ and SE Cyprus mean δ 15 N value ~4.0‰, Koppelmann et al 2009). The average Δ 15 N of phytoplankton-zooplankton and zooplankton-fish in the study area yielded enrichment factors of 2.5 and 3.9‰, respectively (Grossowicz et al 2019). Using this factor, our measured epipelagic POM-δ 15 N value (0.52 ± 1.84‰) could be also inferred and confirmed using the large mesozooplankton δ 15 N value of ~4.0‰ reported by Koppelmann et al (2009).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the carbon signature of primary producers can significantly vary between macroalgae and different phytoplankton groups (Fanelli et al, 2011;Grossowicz et al, 2019), food webs that show a linear relationship between δ 15 N and δ 13 C values are suggestive of a single food source (Polunin et al, 2001;Carlier et al, 2007). Generally weak δ 13 C–δ 15 N correlations were found in deep-sea macrozooplankton and micronekton off the Catalan slope likely due to the consumption of different kinds of sinking particles (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, much of the research describing the trophic ecology of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) has focused on zooplankton groups (Koppelmann et al, 2003;Koppelmann et al, 2009;Hannides et al, 2015;Protopapa et al, 2019), shallow rocky reefs (Fanelli et al, 2015), and on anthropogenically-influenced coastal environments (Grossowicz et al, 2019), while less attention has been paid to deep-sea fishes and crustaceans that occupy higher trophic levels. Here we used bulk carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) to study the trophic ecology of bathypelagic and bathybenthic fishes and crustaceans from the southeast Mediterranean continental slope and rise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trophic ecology of deep-sea megafauna in the ultra-oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Sea

Guy‐Haim

Stern

Sisma-Ventura

2022

Preprint

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The trophic ecology of fourteen species of bathybenthic and bathypelagic fishes and six species of bathybenthic decapod crustaceans from the continental slope and rise of the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) was examined using stable isotope analysis. Mean δ13C values among fish species varied by more than 4.0‰, from -20.85‰ (Macroramphosus scolopax) to -16.57‰ (Conger conger and Centrophorus granulosus), and increased as a function of depth (200 - 1400 m). Mean δ13C values of the crustaceans showed smaller variation, between -16.38‰ (Polycheles typhlops) and -18.50‰ (Aristeus antennatus). This suggests a shift from pelagic to regenerated benthic carbon sources with depth. Benthic carbon regeneration is further supported by the low benthic-pelagic POM-δ13C values, averaging -24.7 ± 1.2‰, and the mixing model results, presenting a very low contribution of epipelagic POM to the bathyal fauna. Mean δ15N values of fish and crustacean species ranged 7.91 ± 0.36‰ to 11.36 ± 0.39‰ and 6.15 ± 0.31‰ to 7.69 ± 0.37‰, respectively, resulting in trophic position estimates, occupying the third and the fourth trophic levels. Thus, despite the proximity to the more productive areas of the shallow shelf, low number of trophic levels (TL ≈ 1.0) and narrow isotopic niche breadths (SEAc <1) were observed for bathybenthic crustaceans (TL = 3.62 ± 0.22) and bathypelagic fishes (TL = 4.33 ± 0.34) in the study area — probably due to the ultra-oligotrophic state of the SEMS resulting in limited carbon sources. Our results, which provide the first trophic description of deep-sea megafauna in the SEMS, offer insight into the carbon sources and food web structure of deep-sea ecosystems in oligotrophic marginal seas and can be further used in ecological modeling and support the sustainable management of marine resources in the deep Levantine Sea.

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“…It is a part of a large-scale project that aimed to evaluate the possible spatiotemporal effects of concentrated brine discharges along the whole Israeli coastline. The other parts of that project described the effects on benthic heterotrophic bacteria [28] and on marine food webs [29]. Table 1).…”

Section: Benthic Foraminiferamentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of long-term brine discharge from desalination plants on benthic foraminifera

2020

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Desalination plants along the Mediterranean Israeli coastline currently provide~587 million m 3 drinking water/year, and their production is planned to increase gradually. Production of drinking water is accompanied by a nearly equivalent volume of brine discharge with a salinity of~80 that is twice the normal, which can potentially impact marine ecosystems. The goal of this study was to examine whether benthic foraminifera, a known sensitive marine bio-indicator, are affected by this brine-discharge. For that, we investigated the seasonal and cumulative effect of brine discharges of three operating desalination facilities along the Israeli coast. Those facilities are located in Ashkelon, Hadera, and Sorek. The brine-discharge in the first two desalination plants is associated with thermal pollution, while the Sorek facility entails increased salinity but no thermal pollution. In four seasonal cruises during one year, we collected surface sediment samples in triplicates by grabs from the outfall (near the discharge site), and from a non-impacted control station adjacent to each study site. Our results highlight that the most robust responses were observed at two out of three desalination shallow sites (Ashkelon and Hadera), where the brine was discharged directly from a coastal outfall and was accompanied with thermal pollution from the nearby power plants. The total foraminiferal abundance and diversity were, generally, lower near the outfalls, and increased towards the control stations. Moreover, changes in the relative abundances of selected species indicate their sensitivity to the brine discharge. The most noticeable response to exclusively elevated salinity was detected at Sorek discharge site, where we observed a sharp decline in organic-cemented agglutinated benthic foraminifera, suggesting that these are particularly sensitive to elevated salinity. The herein study contribute new insights into the effect of brine discharge from desalination plants, on benthic foraminifera, and propose a scientifically-based ecological monitoring tool that can help stakeholders.

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Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes to Investigate the Impact of Desalination Brine Discharge on Marine Food Webs

Cited by 14 publications

References 65 publications

DOP Stimulates Heterotrophic Bacterial Production in the Oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Coastal Waters

DOP Stimulates Heterotrophic Bacterial Production in the Oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Coastal Waters

Trophic ecology of deep-sea megafauna in the ultra-oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Sea

The effect of long-term brine discharge from desalination plants on benthic foraminifera

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