The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Metabolic response of oligotrophic plankton communities to deep water nutrient enrichment

Metabolic response of oligotrophic plankton communities to deep water nutrient enrichment
Metabolic response of oligotrophic plankton communities to deep water nutrient enrichment
Studies on upper ocean plankton production and respiration in oligotrophic ecosystems are taken to imply that these regions are net heterotrophic (i.e. gross primary production [GPP] < respiration [R]). In this study we examined the hypothesis that the regularly observed state of net heterotrophy in the oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean may be interrupted by periodic bursts of net autotrophy when GPP becomes decoupled from R. To examine this hypothesis, we conducted a series of nutrient addition experiments in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) in which nutrient-replete deep seawater was mixed with nutrient-depleted mixed-layer water. We monitored
time-dependent changes in rates of GPP and R as well as dynamics of chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations. Our results consistently demonstrated that following the addition of nutrients: (1) phytoplankton biomass (chl a) and primary production increase; (2) the photoautotrophic plankton assemblage shifts from small (<2 ?m diameter) to large (>10 ?m diameter), chl c-containing and Siutilizing cells; and (3) community metabolism shifts from near balance, or slightly net heterotrophic, to demonstrably net autotrophic metabolism. These results suggest that nutrient availability partly regulates plankton community structure and dynamics, and could serve as a mechanism to temporally and spatially decouple GPP and R in oligotrophic open ocean ecosystems.
Metabolic balance, Net community production, Respiration, Nutrient addition, Oligotrophic, North Pacific Ocean, Stn ALOHA
0171-8630
30-75
McAndrew, P.M.
054f761a-98f0-4052-b0c0-4adad629c3c7
Björkman, K.M.
b4b0ec50-4acb-44d0-a61a-4739ba295596
Church, M.J.
b1584c42-33ab-4668-9541-2847be4e0210
Morris, P.J.
efc0a494-3d80-4116-8010-c2dd5d1bbdee
Jachowski, N.
031bc6b9-594d-4363-9a9c-25101edea8b5
Williams, P.J. le B.
677a3c32-9fd3-4a5f-8990-952d450e40f6
Karl, D.M.
b04d7de9-1985-4893-8042-65f889ad7953
McAndrew, P.M.
054f761a-98f0-4052-b0c0-4adad629c3c7
Björkman, K.M.
b4b0ec50-4acb-44d0-a61a-4739ba295596
Church, M.J.
b1584c42-33ab-4668-9541-2847be4e0210
Morris, P.J.
efc0a494-3d80-4116-8010-c2dd5d1bbdee
Jachowski, N.
031bc6b9-594d-4363-9a9c-25101edea8b5
Williams, P.J. le B.
677a3c32-9fd3-4a5f-8990-952d450e40f6
Karl, D.M.
b04d7de9-1985-4893-8042-65f889ad7953

McAndrew, P.M., Björkman, K.M., Church, M.J., Morris, P.J., Jachowski, N., Williams, P.J. le B. and Karl, D.M. (2007) Metabolic response of oligotrophic plankton communities to deep water nutrient enrichment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 332, 30-75. (doi:10.3354/meps332063).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Studies on upper ocean plankton production and respiration in oligotrophic ecosystems are taken to imply that these regions are net heterotrophic (i.e. gross primary production [GPP] < respiration [R]). In this study we examined the hypothesis that the regularly observed state of net heterotrophy in the oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean may be interrupted by periodic bursts of net autotrophy when GPP becomes decoupled from R. To examine this hypothesis, we conducted a series of nutrient addition experiments in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) in which nutrient-replete deep seawater was mixed with nutrient-depleted mixed-layer water. We monitored
time-dependent changes in rates of GPP and R as well as dynamics of chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations. Our results consistently demonstrated that following the addition of nutrients: (1) phytoplankton biomass (chl a) and primary production increase; (2) the photoautotrophic plankton assemblage shifts from small (<2 ?m diameter) to large (>10 ?m diameter), chl c-containing and Siutilizing cells; and (3) community metabolism shifts from near balance, or slightly net heterotrophic, to demonstrably net autotrophic metabolism. These results suggest that nutrient availability partly regulates plankton community structure and dynamics, and could serve as a mechanism to temporally and spatially decouple GPP and R in oligotrophic open ocean ecosystems.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 5 March 2007
Keywords: Metabolic balance, Net community production, Respiration, Nutrient addition, Oligotrophic, North Pacific Ocean, Stn ALOHA

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49976
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49976
ISSN: 0171-8630
PURE UUID: 6bcd8c91-e017-481b-9b23-9e6b4b2db43c

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Jan 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:01

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: P.M. McAndrew
Author: K.M. Björkman
Author: M.J. Church
Author: P.J. Morris
Author: N. Jachowski
Author: P.J. le B. Williams
Author: D.M. Karl

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×