Article
Environmental Sciences
Lyudmyla Stelmakh, Nelya Kovrigina
Summary: In the coastal waters near Sevastopol in the Black Sea, significant changes in the structure and function of phytoplankton have occurred due to rising temperatures and increased anthropogenic pressure, resulting in decreased phytoplankton biomass, increased large algae, and decreased nutrition quality for microzooplankton, leading to a significant decrease in the transfer of matter and energy from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yujian Wen, Guodong Zhang, Yuyao Song, Guicheng Zhang, Jun Sun
Summary: The dilution experiment technique was employed in two cruises conducted in July-August and October-November 2020, with 14 stations in total. The study comprehensively investigates the grazing impact of microzooplankton on phytoplankton in the interior of Bohai Bay. Spatially and seasonally, both the microzooplankton grazing rates (m) and phytoplankton growth rates (& mu;(0)) were significantly higher in summer compared to autumn, and the growth rate of phytoplankton was positively correlated with temperature. The ratio of microzooplankton grazing rate to phytoplankton growth rate (m/& mu;(0)) showed no significant spatial and seasonal differences, indicating a consistent daily consumption of primary production by microzooplankton in the two seasons. Therefore, the research highlights a close coupling between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in the Bohai Bay.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicole Millette, Christopher Kelble, Ian Smith, Kelly Montenero, Elizabeth Harvey
Summary: Microzooplankton grazing rates on phytoplankton were investigated in the coastal area of southern Florida, USA. The study found that microzooplankton consumed a higher proportion of primary production near the Everglades outflow compared to the Florida Keys.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chi Hung Tang, Edward J. Buskey
Summary: Microzooplankton play a crucial role in connecting primary production and higher trophic levels in marine ecosystems. However, crude oil pollution can disrupt their grazing behavior and the relationship with phytoplankton, potentially leading to phytoplankton blooms.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Karl A. Safi, Andres Gutierrez Rodriguez, Julie A. Hall, Matthew H. Pinkerton
Summary: Elevated but variable phytoplankton biomass and productivity is often associated with the subtropical front (STF) where nitrogen-limited subtropical and iron-limited subantarctic waters mix. Phytoplankton community structure, growth, and grazing dynamics were assessed in the STF east of New Zealand, revealing differences in grazing and nutrient availability as the primary factors controlling phytoplankton dynamics in this region.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Siyu Jiang, Fuminori Hashihama, Hiroaki Saito
Summary: The study found that in the subtropical North Pacific, phytoplankton growth is strongly consumed by microzooplankton grazing, especially in the central North Pacific region. However, the phytoplankton growth rate in the central North Pacific is fast, mainly due to the dominance of Prochlorococcus.
JOURNAL OF OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marco J. Cabrerizo, Emilio Maranon
Summary: The study found that the highest grazing rates align with the highest growth rates, corresponding to medium cell sizes. There were no significant differences in growth or grazing between the smallest and largest cell sizes considered. The grazing-to-growth ratio was largely independent of cell size and C:N ratios, with low thermal dependence.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guilherme Duarte Ferreira, Filomena Romano, Nikola Medic, Paraskevi Pitta, Per Juel Hansen, Kevin J. Flynn, Aditee Mitra, Albert Calbet
Summary: Mixoplankton impact grazing rate estimation, chlorophyll and cell counts are not sufficient, whole community approaches mimic reality better.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Lyudmyla Stelmakh, Nelya Kovrigina, Tatiana Gorbunova
Summary: The study examined the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton, its growth rate, and microzooplankton grazing in the western Black Sea coastal waters near Sevastopol from January 2021 to December 2022. The composition of phytoplankton species has remained relatively stable in recent years compared to the end of the last century and the early 2000s. However, there have been significant changes in the ratio between different diatom species, with an increased proportion of dinoflagellates, particularly in the autumn season.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xuguang Huang, Bingyu Liu, Donghui Guo, Yanping Zhong, Shunxing Li, Xin Liu, Edward A. Laws, Bangqin Huang
Summary: The study found that following blooms of the invasive hydromedusa Blackfordia virginica, there was an increase in phytoplankton biomass, while the average size and grazing rates of microzooplankton decreased, showing a negative correlation between the two. The nutrients excreted by B. virginica had bottom-up effects on the ecosystem.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Mara Freilich, Alexandre Mignot, Glenn Flierl, Raffaele Ferrari
Summary: Recent observations have shown an increase in phytoplankton biomass in the North Atlantic during winter, attributed to a release from grazing pressure. Mathematical formulations of grazing as a function of phytoplankton concentration that are quadratic or decrease faster than linearly at low concentrations can reproduce the observed fall to spring transition in phytoplankton.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David Pecqueur, Justine Courboules, Cecile Roques, Sebastien Mas, Romain Pete, Francesca Vidussi, Behzad Mostajir
Summary: This study investigated the growth and grazing mortality rates of different groups of bacteria, cyanobacteria, and eukaryotic picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton in the Thau Lagoon under different seasonal conditions. The results showed that bacteria were more active and had higher growth and grazing mortality rates compared to phytoplankton. The predators efficiently grazed and transferred these prey organisms, with warmer water facilitating the transfer of small prokaryotes but disadvantaging larger eukaryotic prey.
Article
Oceanography
Michael R. Landry, Raleigh R. Hood, Claire H. Davies, Karen E. Selph, David Antoine, Mika C. Carl, Lynnath E. Beckley
Summary: This study investigated the plankton biomass structure, production, and grazing rates in the eastern Indian Ocean. The results showed that production and grazing rates increased significantly from south to north, with Prochlorococcus dominating productivity and microzooplankton accounting for most of the grazing. These findings are important for understanding the importance and changes in the marine ecosystem of the eastern Indian Ocean.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lesley A. Clementson, Anthony J. Richardson, Wayne A. Rochester, Kadija Oubelkheir, Bingqing Liu, Eurico J. D'Sa, Luiz Felipe Mendes Gusmao, Penelope Ajani, Thomas Schroeder, Phillip W. Ford, Michele A. Burford, Emily Saeck, Andrew D. L. Steven
Summary: Subtropical systems experience occasional severe floods that lead to significant changes in phytoplankton community structure. A study in an Australian subtropical bay found that a 1:100 year summer flood resulted in rapid shifts from micro-phytoplankton dominance to nano- and pico-plankton dominance. This shift was attributed to increased nutrient availability stimulating the growth of smaller phytoplankton species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Huaxue Liu, Jiajun Li, Honghui Huang, Zhanhui Qi, Chenhui Xiang, Xingyu Song
Summary: Microzooplankton play a crucial role in transferring matter and energy in marine ecosystems. This study explored the seasonal variations of microzooplankton grazing in a eutrophic coast of Southern China, finding temperature as the main environmental driving force for microzooplankton grazing. The impacts of run-offs from the Pearl River and offshore seawater intrusion from the South China Sea were responsible for spatial-temporal variations in phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michelle Jungbluth, Calvin Lee, Cheryl Patel, Toni Ignoffo, Brian Bergamaschi, Wim Kimmerer
Summary: The study investigated the consumption of a massive bloom of Aulacoseira granulata by the dominant zooplankton Pseudodiaptomus forbesi in the upper San Francisco Estuary. Results showed that ingestion rates decreased over time, providing only a minor contribution to the growth and reproduction of P. forbesi.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Qian Li, Kyle F. Edwards, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Karen E. Selph, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: Mixotrophic nanoflagellates, such as Florenciella, play a significant role in bacterivory in the sunlit ocean. This study revealed that Florenciella can consume Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and heterotrophic bacteria, relieving nutrient limitations on growth, and showing increased grazing rates under nutrient limitation. Additionally, a trade-off between maximum clearance rate and maximum ingestion rate suggests that grazing behavior may vary in response to prey concentration.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Le Qin Choo, Thijs M. P. Bal, Erica Goetze, Katja T. C. A. Peijnenburg
Summary: The study of genetic diversity in pteropods across a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean revealed high levels of variability and strong spatial structuring, with primary dispersal barriers identified in the southern Atlantic subtropical gyre and a secondary barrier in the equatorial upwelling region. These findings suggest that low abundance areas indicate suboptimal habitats and play a role in limiting gene flow among widely distributed zooplankton species.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Michael R. Stukel, Thomas B. Kelly, Michael R. Landry, Karen E. Selph, Rasmus Swalethorp
Summary: The research showed that organic carbon export decreased with depth, with net primary production concentrated in the upper euphotic zone, and the importance of phytoplankton flux varied at different depths. Measurements of chlorophyll and phaeopigments also revealed variations in the contribution of fecal pellets to total flux at different depths.
JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Michael R. Stukel, Moira Decima, Karen E. Selph, Andres Gutierrez-Rodriguez
Summary: The study found that salps can feed on a variety of sizes of phytoplankton, with nano- and microphytoplankton being the predominant prey, while phagotrophic protists are the main competitors, consuming approximately 50% of all phytoplankton biomass daily. The interactions between salps, krill, and protozoans have implications for biogeochemistry and the food web.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Angela N. Knapp, Rachel K. Thomas, Michael R. Stukel, Thomas B. Kelly, Michael R. Landry, Karen E. Selph, Estrella Malca, Trika Gerard, John Lamkin
Summary: This study used geochemical tools to analyze the sources and importance of nitrogen in supporting export production in the oligotrophic Gulf of Mexico. The results indicate that the majority of export production is supported by subsurface nitrate, and the contribution of N-2 fixation is relatively small.
JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Karen E. Selph
Summary: A flow cytometry method using a low power near-ultraviolet laser and Hoechst 34580 stain provides a simple and accurate way to enumerate marine heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton. The method allows for simultaneous quantification of nonpigmented marine bacteria and phytoplankton in a single sample, with precision estimates varying based on cell concentrations. This method is suitable for at-sea use with portable, compact, and low power-requiring flow cytometers.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
M. Renee Bellinger, Erin Datlof, Karen E. Selph, Timothy J. Gallaher, Matthew L. Knope
Summary: This study presents a high-quality reference genome for the endemic species Bidens hawaiensis in the Hawaiian Islands, which will serve as a valuable resource for understanding the evolutionary genomics of explosive plant diversification.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Michael R. Landry, Karen E. Selph, Raleigh R. Hood, Claire H. Davies, Lynnath E. Beckley
Summary: The study investigated the temperature sensitivity of picophytoplankton growth along a natural temperature gradient in the eastern Indian Ocean. The results showed that Prochlorococcus, the dominant biomass, exhibited insignificant temperature sensitivity, contrary to predictions. The importance of using adapted communities in natural environmental gradients to test climate predictions was emphasized.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Michelle J. Jungbluth, Katharine M. Hanson, Petra H. Lenz, H. Eve Robinson, Erica Goetze
Summary: This study developed a method using qPCR to estimate the species-specific biomass of juvenile copepods by measuring mitochondrial DNA gene copies. The method showed high specificity and sensitivity, and has the potential to advance our understanding of early life-history stages in marine ecosystems.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Trika Gerard, John T. Lamkin, Thomas B. Kelly, Angela N. Knapp, Raul Laiz-Carrion, Estrella Malca, Karen E. Selph, Akihiro Shiroza, Taylor A. Shropshire, Michael R. Stukel, Rasmus Swalethorp, Natalia Yingling, Michael R. Landry
Summary: This study investigated the migration process of western Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) from their feeding grounds to the Gulf of Mexico for spawning, and explored the nutrient sources and food-web structure of their preferred habitat. The results showed that lateral transport from the continental slope region may play a more significant role in determining the available habitat for larvae than eddy edges.
JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Moira Decima, Michael R. Stukel, Scott D. Nodder, Andres Gutierrez-Rodriguez, Karen E. Selph, Adriana Lopes dos Santos, Karl Safi, Thomas B. Kelly, Fenella Deans, Sergio E. Morales, Federico Baltar, Mikel Latasa, Maxim Y. Gorbunov, Matt Pinkerton
Summary: Salp blooms in the Southern Ocean have significant impacts on microbial dynamics and the global biological carbon pump (BCP). Their grazing activities reduce primary production and increase particle export, resulting in higher BCP efficiency compared to non-salp locations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Michael R. Landry, Sara R. Rivera, Michael R. Stukel, Karen E. Selph
Summary: This study compares estimates of bacterial carbon production using the H-3-labeled leucine method and the dilution method. It finds that while there are differences between the two methods, they are overall compatible. By combining these techniques, a more accurate assessment of bacterial biomass and production can be obtained.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
L. Q. Choo, G. Spagliardi, M. Malinsky, M. Choquet, E. Goetze, G. Hoarau, K. T. C. A. Peijnenburg
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic and morphological data of the shelled pteropod Limacina bulimoides and identified three major genetic lineages that diverged about 1 million years ago. The lineages remained reproductively isolated but had similar morphologies. The study indicates that many planktonic species in the open ocean have underestimated species diversity.