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The role of mixing in controlling resource availability and phytoplankton community composition

The role of mixing in controlling resource availability and phytoplankton community composition
The role of mixing in controlling resource availability and phytoplankton community composition
We investigate the role of mixing, through its effect on nutrient and light availability, as a driver of phytoplankton community composition in the context of Margalef's mandala. Data on microstructure turbulence, irradiance, new nitrogen supply and phytoplankton composition were collected at 102 stations in three contrasting marine environments: the Galician coastal upwelling system of the northwest Iberian Peninsula, the northwestern Mediterranean, and the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Photosynthetic pigments concentration and microscopic analysis allowed us to investigate the contribution of diatoms, dinoflagellates, pico- and nanoeukaryotes, and cyanobacteria to the phytoplankton community. Simple linear regression was used to assess the role of environmental factors on community composition, and environmental overlap among different phytoplankton groups was computed using nonparametric kernel density functions. Mixing and new nitrogen supply played an important role in controlling the phytoplankton community structure. At lower values of mixing and new nitrogen supply cyanobacteria dominated, pico- and nanoeukaryotes were dominant across a wide range of environmental conditions, and finally enhanced new nitrogen supply was favourable for diatoms and dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates were prevalent at intermediate mixing levels, whereas diatoms spread across a wider range of mixing conditions. Occasional instances of enhanced diatom biomass were found under low mixing, associated with the high abundance of Hemiaulus hauckii co-occurring with high N2 fixation in subtropical regions, and with the formation of thin layers in the Galician coastal upwelling. Our results verify the Margalef's mandala for the whole phytoplankton community, emphasizing the need to consider nutrient supply, rather than nutrient concentration, as an indicator of nutrient availability.
0079-6611
Villamaña, Marina
9504a28b-9fee-457d-b71e-690cb5c7a60d
Marañón, Emilio
c1799c8b-0849-400f-88c3-7ba064feff5c
Cermeño, Pedro
c179b90c-98ed-48c9-9d0b-67ad75c971e5
Estrada, Marta
c2442b9b-5e51-4f1c-863d-a3af1e3805c9
Fernández-Castro, Bieito
8017e93c-d5ee-4bba-b443-9c72ca512d61
Figueiras, Francisco G.
71197a0c-9b0c-4a54-a4b5-4ecc785e6846
Latasa, Mikel
e8f88d8c-49e2-4e11-9ec1-a5f9b173a2fd
Otero-Ferrer, Jose Luis
02cd6000-991c-4c77-bdf4-3adaedb80ef6
Reguera, Beatriz
12afee73-3c30-487b-8228-fc4955c2391b
Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz
1bfd941d-9ec6-473f-94bd-bb6faac56fa5
Villamaña, Marina
9504a28b-9fee-457d-b71e-690cb5c7a60d
Marañón, Emilio
c1799c8b-0849-400f-88c3-7ba064feff5c
Cermeño, Pedro
c179b90c-98ed-48c9-9d0b-67ad75c971e5
Estrada, Marta
c2442b9b-5e51-4f1c-863d-a3af1e3805c9
Fernández-Castro, Bieito
8017e93c-d5ee-4bba-b443-9c72ca512d61
Figueiras, Francisco G.
71197a0c-9b0c-4a54-a4b5-4ecc785e6846
Latasa, Mikel
e8f88d8c-49e2-4e11-9ec1-a5f9b173a2fd
Otero-Ferrer, Jose Luis
02cd6000-991c-4c77-bdf4-3adaedb80ef6
Reguera, Beatriz
12afee73-3c30-487b-8228-fc4955c2391b
Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz
1bfd941d-9ec6-473f-94bd-bb6faac56fa5

Villamaña, Marina, Marañón, Emilio, Cermeño, Pedro, Estrada, Marta, Fernández-Castro, Bieito, Figueiras, Francisco G., Latasa, Mikel, Otero-Ferrer, Jose Luis, Reguera, Beatriz and Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz (2019) The role of mixing in controlling resource availability and phytoplankton community composition. Progress in Oceanography, 178, [102181]. (doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2019.102181).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We investigate the role of mixing, through its effect on nutrient and light availability, as a driver of phytoplankton community composition in the context of Margalef's mandala. Data on microstructure turbulence, irradiance, new nitrogen supply and phytoplankton composition were collected at 102 stations in three contrasting marine environments: the Galician coastal upwelling system of the northwest Iberian Peninsula, the northwestern Mediterranean, and the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Photosynthetic pigments concentration and microscopic analysis allowed us to investigate the contribution of diatoms, dinoflagellates, pico- and nanoeukaryotes, and cyanobacteria to the phytoplankton community. Simple linear regression was used to assess the role of environmental factors on community composition, and environmental overlap among different phytoplankton groups was computed using nonparametric kernel density functions. Mixing and new nitrogen supply played an important role in controlling the phytoplankton community structure. At lower values of mixing and new nitrogen supply cyanobacteria dominated, pico- and nanoeukaryotes were dominant across a wide range of environmental conditions, and finally enhanced new nitrogen supply was favourable for diatoms and dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates were prevalent at intermediate mixing levels, whereas diatoms spread across a wider range of mixing conditions. Occasional instances of enhanced diatom biomass were found under low mixing, associated with the high abundance of Hemiaulus hauckii co-occurring with high N2 fixation in subtropical regions, and with the formation of thin layers in the Galician coastal upwelling. Our results verify the Margalef's mandala for the whole phytoplankton community, emphasizing the need to consider nutrient supply, rather than nutrient concentration, as an indicator of nutrient availability.

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Published date: 1 November 2019

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 453612
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/453612
ISSN: 0079-6611
PURE UUID: 38001cb4-8075-4a60-bcbb-974cfb790581
ORCID for Bieito Fernández-Castro: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7797-854X

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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2022 17:38
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:04

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Contributors

Author: Marina Villamaña
Author: Emilio Marañón
Author: Pedro Cermeño
Author: Marta Estrada
Author: Francisco G. Figueiras
Author: Mikel Latasa
Author: Jose Luis Otero-Ferrer
Author: Beatriz Reguera
Author: Beatriz Mouriño-Carballido

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