Article
Limnology
Sebastian D. Rokitta, Christian H. Grossmann, Elisa Werner, Jannika Moye, Giulia Castellani, Eva-Maria Noethig, Bjoern Rost
Summary: The responses of Arctic Phaeocystis pouchetii solitary cells to temperature, light intensity, and pCO2 were assessed. Elevated temperature had the most pronounced impacts on growth, elemental quotas, and photosynthetic performance. Light stimulations were more prominent under lower temperatures. pCO2 had the least effect. The results suggest that global warming accelerates bloom dynamics of Phaeocystis, which may have substantial effects on the biogeochemistry and ecology of the Arctic.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diksha Sharma, Haimanti Biswas, Mintu Chowdhury, Saumya Silori, Medhavi Pandey, Durbar Ray
Summary: Understanding phytoplankton community shifts under multiple stressors is crucial for studying marine ecosystems. However, there is limited research on the interactive impacts of copper and CO2 enrichment on phytoplankton in the Arabian Sea. This study found that low dissolved silicate concentration favored smaller diatoms and non-diatom species, while CO2 enrichment had both positive and negative effects on phytoplankton growth. The addition of copper hindered cell division in most species, but did not significantly affect chlorophyll content. Interestingly, CO2 enrichment seemed to alleviate copper toxicity in some species and increased their growth rates. Dinoflagellates were more sensitive to copper supply compared to diatoms and prymnesiophytes. These community shifts may have implications for trophic transfer and carbon cycling in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Haimanti Biswas
Summary: This study investigates the growth response of Arctic diatom Chaetoceros gelidus under varying CO2 and light levels. The results suggest that this species has a high adaptability to variable light levels and is capable of accumulating substantial amounts of organic carbon at low CO2 levels. Additionally, under nitrogen limitation, intracellular nitrogen resources may be recycled, resulting in an increased carbon-to-nitrogen ratio within the cells.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Craig J. Dedman, Samuel Barton, Marjorie Fournier, Rosalind E. M. Rickaby
Summary: Marine cyanobacteria, major contributors to the oceanic carbon sink, undergo significant proteomic alterations in major nutrient metabolism pathways in response to temperature changes. As seawater temperatures rise, the composition and nutrient demands of cyanobacteria are likely to be altered, impacting their contribution to oceanic biogeochemical cycling.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cesc Gordo-Vilaseca, Fabrice Stephenson, Marta Coll, Charles Lavin, Mark John Costello
Summary: Observed range shifts of numerous species into the Arctic and sub-Arctic seas due to ocean warming have led to an increase in local and regional species richness, driven by an increase in sea bottom temperature. While the probability of occurrence for Arctic species generally declined over time, the enrichment of the Arctic and sub-Arctic marine fauna is attributed to an increase in species from southern latitudes, consistent with climate change.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marti Gali, Martine Lizotte, David J. Kieber, Achim Randelhoff, Rachel Hussherr, Lei Xue, Julie Dinasquet, Marcel Babin, Eric Rehm, Maurice Levasseur
Summary: In the Arctic marginal ice zone, phytoplankton blooms produce high levels of DMS, which increase with rising temperatures and ice melt. Concentrations of DMS and DMSPt are high in surface and subsurface waters, with higher values observed in the MIZ region.
ELEMENTA-SCIENCE OF THE ANTHROPOCENE
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Patrick P. Downes, Stephen J. Goult, E. Malcolm S. Woodward, Claire E. Widdicombe, Karen Tait, Joanna L. Dixon
Summary: The study investigated the role of phosphorus in mediating primary production in the Barents Sea, finding significant differences in phytoplankton communities between Arctic and Atlantic waters, with distinct patterns in DIP turnover and DOP release among them.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Raissa L. Gill, Sinead Collins, Phoebe A. Argyle, Michaela E. Larsson, Robert Fleck, Martina A. Doblin
Summary: This study demonstrates that the predictability of temperature fluctuations has a significant impact on the phenotype of marine diatom, as irregular fluctuations result in decreased cellular complexity and growth, while regular fluctuations lead to increased growth. These findings suggest that shifts in environmental stochasticity may have widespread consequences for ocean primary producers.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fabio Benedetti, Meike Vogt, Urs Hofmann Elizondo, Damiano Righetti, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Nicolas Gruber
Summary: The study found that with ocean warming, the overall richness of marine phytoplankton and zooplankton species increases, and their distribution shifts poleward at an accelerated speed. Zooplankton richness slightly declines in tropical regions but increases in temperate to subpolar latitudes. Climate change may threaten the contribution of plankton communities to ecosystem services.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Youngju Lee, Jisoo Park, Jinyoung Jung, Tae Wan Kim
Summary: The thinning and retreating of ice shelves in the Antarctic coast have been accelerated by global warming. Basal melt water influences marine life, particularly phytoplankton, which is directly affected by changes in physicochemical environments. Limited in situ data over large areas in the Amundsen Sea, a hotspot for rapidly thinning ice shelves in West Antarctica, hinder our understanding. In a 2020 summer cruise, phytoplankton species abundance was investigated along the Amundsen Sea coast, revealing unexpected blooms of diatom Dactyliosolen tenuijunctus in the Pine Island Bay region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Qiang Zheng, Wenxin Lin, Yu Wang, Yunyun Li, Chen He, Yuan Shen, Weidong Guo, Quan Shi, Nianzhi Jiao
Summary: Phytoplankton are major contributors of labile dissolved organic matter to marine euphotic zone ecosystems. Viral-mediated phytoplankton lysis releases a considerable amount of bioavailable cellular contents and facilitates localized heterotrophic bacterial growth. The study showed that viral lysis promoted the transformation ofSynechococcusbiomass to dissolved organic matter, and the organic molecules from relatively high molecular weight to low molecular weight, corresponding to variation in their bioavailability. TheSynechococcus-derived organic matter was highly enriched in N-containing organic molecules, and oligopeptides, nucleotides, and lipid compounds significantly increased with viral lysis.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silke Lischka, Michael J. J. Greenacre, Ulf Riebesell, Martin Graeve
Summary: Ocean warming and acidification pose a severe threat to pteropods in the Arctic by reducing their survival and causing the dissolution of their shells. Lipids, especially phospholipids, play a crucial role in the early-stage pteropods. Our experimental study shows that elevated temperatures and high CO2 concentrations lead to a significant decrease in total lipids, mainly due to the reduction of phospholipids. This reduction may compromise cell differentiation and energy balance in the early-stage larvae. The negative effects of warming on lipid metabolism may be a more immediate threat to pteropods than shell dissolution effects caused by acidification.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kristen M. Krumhardt, Matthew C. Long, Zephyr T. Sylvester, Colleen M. Petrik
Summary: Southern Ocean phytoplankton production is crucial for supporting Antarctic marine ecosystems, but anthropogenic climate change may lead to shifts in phytoplankton community structure, affecting the whole ecosystem. Simulation results suggest that different responses of phytoplankton in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current region and the sea ice zone may have implications for higher trophic levels.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Meredith E. Theus, Julia Michaels, Samuel B. Fey
Summary: This study investigates how environmental temperature and bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread environmental contaminant, jointly alter algal populations and communities. The results show that higher environmental temperature can exacerbate or ameliorate the negative impacts of BPA on growth rates and may increase the sensitivity of algal community composition to BPA.
CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Zhong, Yingyan Guo, Zhe Liang, Quanting Huang, Hua Lu, Jinmei Pan, Peiyuan Li, Peng Jin, Jianrong Xia
Summary: The study found that ocean warming has a greater impact on the growth of marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii over long-term selection experiments compared to ocean acidification. Many temperature response traits were influenced by ocean warming, indicating that it is the main driver for the evolution of T. weissflogii. However, adaptations resulting from warming can be constrained by ocean acidification, leading to trade-offs in photochemical performances.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chunzhi Cai, Reny P. Devassy, Mohsen M. El-Sherbiny, Susana Agusti
Summary: The concentrations of metals or metalloids in Red Sea zooplankton were mainly Ca Sr > Fe > Al > Zn > As > Cu > Mn > Cr > Mo > Ni > Pb > Cd, with As, Ca, and Cu concentrations significantly increasing with latitude while Cd concentrations decreased. Anthropogenic activities such as cement factories and oil refining industries may contribute to the high concentrations of certain elements in Central to North Red Sea zooplankton.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ananya Ashok, Lone Hoj, Diane L. Brinkman, Andrew P. Negri, Susana Agusti
Summary: This study investigated the uptake rates and accumulation of a C-13-labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in corals. The results showed that the accumulation of PAHs in corals was higher with increasing food-chain length, with predation having the largest contribution. Additionally, dissolved or diet-bound PAHs had no significant effect on the photosynthetic efficiency of coral symbionts.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Runqiu Huang, Chunfang Zhang, Xiangrong Xu, Runjie Jin, Dan Li, George Christakos, Xi Xiao, Junyu He, Susana Agusti, Carlos M. Duarte, Jiaping Wu
Summary: This study examines the records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment profiles from different blue carbon vegetation types in Yueqing Bay, China. The results show that blue carbon vegetation accelerates the burial of PAHs in sediments and affects their accumulation and retention capacity. Additionally, blue carbon vegetation colonization contributes to changes in the composition of PAHs in sediments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carlos M. Duarte, David Ketcheson, Victor M. Eguiluz, Susana Agusti, Juan Fernandez-Gracia, Tahira Jamil, Elisa Laiolo, Takashi Gojobori, Intikhab Alam
Summary: The competition between pathogens and hosts drives evolution, and the future evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 can be predicted through real-time tracking of its population genomics worldwide. The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is accelerating, with an average of 12 new effective RBD variants appearing daily. This challenges our defenses and calls for collaborative global sequencing and vaccination.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kyaw Thura, Oscar Serrano, Jiali Gu, Yunying Fang, Hein Zar Htwe, Yaojia Zhu, Runqiu Huang, Susana Agusti, Carlos M. Duarte, Hailong Wang, Jiaping Wu
Summary: This study examined the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in different-aged mangroves and bare mudflats. The results showed that SOC stocks increased exponentially following mangrove restoration and reached a saturation trend after 15 years. The 60-year-old mangrove forests had significantly higher SOC stocks compared to the mudflat and 7-year-old transplanted sites. Soil salinity, pH, and bulk density increased significantly throughout the depth, while soil salinity decreased at lower depths. Soil texture was finer in mudflats and early stages of mangrove plantations.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samir M. Aljbour, Ricardo N. Alves, Susana Agusti
Summary: The light-dependent zooxanthellate jellyfish Cassiopea sp. may be exposed to high levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in many marine habitats. In this study, the metabolic and physiological responses of Cassiopea sp. to natural levels of underwater UVR were investigated. Results showed that UV-exposed jellyfish had higher mitochondrial electron transport system activity, indicating elevated aerobic respiration rates and higher energy cost of UVR exposure. However, there were no significant differences in lactate dehydrogenase activity or available energy among UVR treatments. The study suggests that Cassiopea sp. is more resilient to UVR compared to other cnidarians.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David K. Ngugi, Silvia G. Acinas, Pablo Sanchez, Josep M. Gasol, Susana Agusti, David M. Karl, Carlos M. Duarte
Summary: This study investigates the average genome size of planktonic prokaryotes across tropical and polar oceans and down to the hadal realm. Using hundreds of metagenomes of marine microorganisms, genome size was found to be highest in the perennially cold polar ocean, suggesting that environmental factors influence genome size selection and the ecological strategies of marine microbes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Runjie Jin, Zhanjiang Ye, Shuangshuang Chen, Jiali Gu, Junyu He, Lei Huang, George Christakos, Susana Agusti, Carlos M. M. Duarte, Jiaping Wu
Summary: Seaweed aquaculture is vital for protecting the marine eco-environment and mitigating climate change, and China is the largest producer globally. However, there is a lack of accurate and reliable information on large-scale seaweed farms. This study used an object-based method to classify satellite images and accurately mapped seaweed farms in offshore China. The results provide essential information for seaweed cultivation and can guide similar mapping efforts on a broader or global scale.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sebastian Overmans, Susana Agusti
Summary: Red Sea corals are resilient to high temperatures and UVB radiation. UVB plays a crucial role in the photosynthetic efficiency of shallow-water corals, while the removal of UVB accelerates the acclimation of upward transplanted corals.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Oceanography
Mikel Latasa, Francisco Rodriguez, Susana Agusti, Marta Estrada
Summary: A pigment chemotaxonomic approach was used to study the distribution of phytoplankton groups in the oligotrophic tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. The results showed the presence of a subsurface deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) in most of the sampling stations, and the composition of phytoplankton populations was relatively stable. Green algae and Prochlorococcus were the major contributors to total chlorophyll, while diatoms and dinoflagellates had lower contributions.
PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Jin Zhou, Susana Agusti
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Isabel Sanz-Saez, Pablo Sanchez, Guillem Salazar, Shinichi Sunagawa, Colomban de Vargas, Chris Bowler, Matthew B. Sullivan, Patrick Wincker, Eric Karsenti, Carlos Pedros-Alio, Susana Agusti, Takashi Gojobori, Carlos M. Duarte, Josep M. Gasol, Olga Sanchez, Silvia G. Acinas
Summary: Traditional culture techniques often underestimate the diversity of marine microbial communities, particularly in the deep ocean. In this study, we compared cultured heterotrophic bacteria with globally collected 16S rRNA metabarcoding datasets to assess the recovery of bacterial communities at different ocean depths. Our results indicate a higher proportion of isolates matching the metabarcoding data in the deep ocean, suggesting that sinking particles in the bathypelagic zone serve as nutrient-rich habitats for cultivable heterotrophic bacteria. These bacteria contribute to prokaryotic communities across different plankton size fractions, functioning as both free-living and particle-associated organisms.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sreejith Kottuparambil, Ananya Ashok, Alan Barozzi, Gregoire Michoud, Chunzhi Cai, Daniele Daffonchio, Carlos M. Duarte, Susana Agusti
Summary: Understanding the immediate impacts of oil spills is crucial for predicting their long-term consequences on the marine environment. This study investigated the early signals of crude oil in seawater and plankton after a major oil spill in the Red Sea. The findings revealed significant incorporation of oil carbon into the dissolved organic carbon pool, alterations in UV absorption, elevated oil fluorescence emissions, changes in the carbon isotope composition of the seawater, enrichment of specific bacterial genera, and the presence of oil pollutants in zooplankton tissues. These early signs highlight the importance of predicting the long-term impacts of marine oil spills.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra Coello-Camba, Ruben Diaz-Rua, Susana Agusti
Summary: The use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies for identifying specific genetic markers has become crucial for characterizing microbial communities. In this study, a new primer pair was designed for the widely used Illumina MiSeq platform, allowing for the identification and classification of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus communities at a low taxonomic level, providing a useful tool for further research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Runqiu Huang, Junyu He, Nan Wang, George Christakos, Jiali Gu, Li Song, Ji Luo, Susana Agusti, Carlos M. Duarte, Jiaping Wu
Summary: Coastal blue carbon ecosystems have promising benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Research shows that mangrove transplantation and Spartina alterniflora invasion have significant effects on the carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands. Additionally, plant-derived organic carbon can be exported to the surrounding environment due to rapid sediment turnover.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)