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Similarity in microbial amino acid uptake in surface waters of the North and South Atlantic (sub-)tropical gyres

Similarity in microbial amino acid uptake in surface waters of the North and South Atlantic (sub-)tropical gyres
Similarity in microbial amino acid uptake in surface waters of the North and South Atlantic (sub-)tropical gyres
The Earth’s most extensive biomes – the oceanic subtropical gyres – are considered to be expanding with current surface ocean warming. Although it is well established that microbial communities control gyre biogeochemistry, comparisons of their metabolic activities between gyres are limited. In order to estimate metabolic activities including production of microbial communities, the uptake rates of amino acids leucine, methionine and tyrosine at ambient concentrations were estimated in surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean using radioisotopically labelled tracers. Data were acquired during six research cruises covering main oceanic provinces herein termed: North and South Atlantic Gyres, Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site (BATS), Equatorial region, and Mauritanian Upwelling (off Cape Blanc). Data were divided between provinces, the extents of which were identified by ocean colour data, in order to achieve provincial mean uptake rates. Leucine and methionine uptake rates did not differ between sampling periods, and were comparable between the North and South subtropical gyres. Furthermore, variation in uptake rates measured throughout the two oligotrophic gyres, where sampling covered ?4 × 106 km2, was considerably lower than that measured within the Mauritanian Upwelling and Equatorial regions, and even at the BATS site. Tyrosine was generally the slowest of the amino acids to be taken up, however, it was assimilated faster than methionine within the Mauritanian Upwelling region. Thus, we propose that one value for leucine (12.6 ± 3.2 pmol L?1 h?1) and methionine (10.0 ± 3.3 pmol L?1 h?1) uptake could be applied to the oligotrophic subtropical gyres of the Atlantic Ocean. However, with the significantly lower uptake rates observed at the BATS site, we would not advise extrapolation to the Sargasso Sea.
0079-6611
437-446
Hill, Polly G.
03ff729d-1c24-45f8-8bf7-3bcc9bf882e9
Mary, Isabelle
34d83373-e58f-452d-a9cd-2d27c908dd95
Purdie, Duncan A.
18820b32-185a-467a-8019-01f245191cd8
Zubkov, Mikhail V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743
Hill, Polly G.
03ff729d-1c24-45f8-8bf7-3bcc9bf882e9
Mary, Isabelle
34d83373-e58f-452d-a9cd-2d27c908dd95
Purdie, Duncan A.
18820b32-185a-467a-8019-01f245191cd8
Zubkov, Mikhail V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743

Hill, Polly G., Mary, Isabelle, Purdie, Duncan A. and Zubkov, Mikhail V. (2011) Similarity in microbial amino acid uptake in surface waters of the North and South Atlantic (sub-)tropical gyres. Progress in Oceanography, 91 (4), 437-446. (doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2011.05.006).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Earth’s most extensive biomes – the oceanic subtropical gyres – are considered to be expanding with current surface ocean warming. Although it is well established that microbial communities control gyre biogeochemistry, comparisons of their metabolic activities between gyres are limited. In order to estimate metabolic activities including production of microbial communities, the uptake rates of amino acids leucine, methionine and tyrosine at ambient concentrations were estimated in surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean using radioisotopically labelled tracers. Data were acquired during six research cruises covering main oceanic provinces herein termed: North and South Atlantic Gyres, Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site (BATS), Equatorial region, and Mauritanian Upwelling (off Cape Blanc). Data were divided between provinces, the extents of which were identified by ocean colour data, in order to achieve provincial mean uptake rates. Leucine and methionine uptake rates did not differ between sampling periods, and were comparable between the North and South subtropical gyres. Furthermore, variation in uptake rates measured throughout the two oligotrophic gyres, where sampling covered ?4 × 106 km2, was considerably lower than that measured within the Mauritanian Upwelling and Equatorial regions, and even at the BATS site. Tyrosine was generally the slowest of the amino acids to be taken up, however, it was assimilated faster than methionine within the Mauritanian Upwelling region. Thus, we propose that one value for leucine (12.6 ± 3.2 pmol L?1 h?1) and methionine (10.0 ± 3.3 pmol L?1 h?1) uptake could be applied to the oligotrophic subtropical gyres of the Atlantic Ocean. However, with the significantly lower uptake rates observed at the BATS site, we would not advise extrapolation to the Sargasso Sea.

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More information

Published date: December 2011
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry, Ocean Biochemistry & Ecosystems

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 208121
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/208121
ISSN: 0079-6611
PURE UUID: 498e3060-9779-4b7e-ac8c-8553dd0b865a
ORCID for Duncan A. Purdie: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6672-1722

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Date deposited: 16 Jan 2012 12:03
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:32

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Contributors

Author: Polly G. Hill
Author: Isabelle Mary
Author: Mikhail V. Zubkov

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