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Basin-scale distribution patterns of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect

Basin-scale distribution patterns of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect
Basin-scale distribution patterns of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect
Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) of a size < 3 µm play a crucial role in oceanic primary production. However, little is known of the structure of the PPE community over large spatial scales. Here, we investigated the distribution of various PPE classes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect sampled in boreal autumn 2004 that encompasses a range of ocean provinces (gyres, upwelling, temperate regions), using dot blot hybridization technology targeting plastid 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Two algal classes, Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyceae, dominated the PPE community throughout the Atlantic Ocean, over a range of water masses presenting different trophic profiles. However, these classes showed strongly complementary distributions with Chrysophyceae dominating northern temperate waters, the southern gyre and equatorial regions, while prymnesiophytes dominated the northern gyre. Phylogenetic analyses using both plastid and nuclear rRNA genes revealed a high diversity among members of both classes, including sequences contained in lineages with no close cultured counterpart. Other PPE classes were less prevalent along the transect, with members of the Cryptophyceae, Pelagophyceae and Eustigmatophyceae essentially restricted to specific regions. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed strong relationships between the distribution patterns of some of these latter PPE classes and temperature, light intensity and nutrient concentrations. Cryptophyceae, for example, were mostly found in the upwelling region and associated with higher nutrient concentrations. However, the key classes of Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyceae were not strongly influenced by the variables measured. Although there appeared to be a positive relationship between Chrysophyceae distribution and light intensity, the complementary distributions of these classes could not be explained by the variables recorded and this requires further explanation.
1462-2920
975-990
Kirkham, Amy R.
8cb13d52-8333-4997-99e4-f2a048a72c1e
Jardillier, Ludwig E.
66cafc57-e5d3-4ea3-98db-d009ee5514ae
Tiganescu, Ana
610e22cb-b20c-4c2d-9519-5aef198cb1bb
Pearman, John
b0b87f6a-66e5-4cfc-9cd6-fdba162f7f2e
Zubkov, Mikhail V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743
Scanlan, David J.
748c7970-2e58-4a46-82ad-0138f41bd713
Kirkham, Amy R.
8cb13d52-8333-4997-99e4-f2a048a72c1e
Jardillier, Ludwig E.
66cafc57-e5d3-4ea3-98db-d009ee5514ae
Tiganescu, Ana
610e22cb-b20c-4c2d-9519-5aef198cb1bb
Pearman, John
b0b87f6a-66e5-4cfc-9cd6-fdba162f7f2e
Zubkov, Mikhail V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743
Scanlan, David J.
748c7970-2e58-4a46-82ad-0138f41bd713

Kirkham, Amy R., Jardillier, Ludwig E., Tiganescu, Ana, Pearman, John, Zubkov, Mikhail V. and Scanlan, David J. (2011) Basin-scale distribution patterns of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect. Environmental Microbiology, 13 (4), 975-990. (doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02403.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) of a size < 3 µm play a crucial role in oceanic primary production. However, little is known of the structure of the PPE community over large spatial scales. Here, we investigated the distribution of various PPE classes along an Atlantic Meridional Transect sampled in boreal autumn 2004 that encompasses a range of ocean provinces (gyres, upwelling, temperate regions), using dot blot hybridization technology targeting plastid 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Two algal classes, Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyceae, dominated the PPE community throughout the Atlantic Ocean, over a range of water masses presenting different trophic profiles. However, these classes showed strongly complementary distributions with Chrysophyceae dominating northern temperate waters, the southern gyre and equatorial regions, while prymnesiophytes dominated the northern gyre. Phylogenetic analyses using both plastid and nuclear rRNA genes revealed a high diversity among members of both classes, including sequences contained in lineages with no close cultured counterpart. Other PPE classes were less prevalent along the transect, with members of the Cryptophyceae, Pelagophyceae and Eustigmatophyceae essentially restricted to specific regions. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed strong relationships between the distribution patterns of some of these latter PPE classes and temperature, light intensity and nutrient concentrations. Cryptophyceae, for example, were mostly found in the upwelling region and associated with higher nutrient concentrations. However, the key classes of Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyceae were not strongly influenced by the variables measured. Although there appeared to be a positive relationship between Chrysophyceae distribution and light intensity, the complementary distributions of these classes could not be explained by the variables recorded and this requires further explanation.

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Published date: 2011
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 183483
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/183483
ISSN: 1462-2920
PURE UUID: 9686f75f-9ccd-45d9-b465-e7f9a4e80750

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Date deposited: 28 Apr 2011 15:35
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 03:04

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Contributors

Author: Amy R. Kirkham
Author: Ludwig E. Jardillier
Author: Ana Tiganescu
Author: John Pearman
Author: Mikhail V. Zubkov
Author: David J. Scanlan

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