A Mini-Review of the Contribution of Benthic Microalgae to the Ecology of the Continental Shelf in the South Atlantic Bight

Pinckney, James L.

doi:10.1007/s12237-018-0401-z

Cited by 34 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…MPB communities are dominated by unicellular eukaryotic algae, cyanobacteria and euglenoids that inhibit the surface layers sediments within the photic zone (MacIntyre, Geider, & Miller, ). Their colonization of the seafloor extends from shallow intertidal areas to the edge of the continental shelf (Cahoon, ; Pinckney, ) and their presence can appear as a subtle brown or green shading on the sediment surface or they can be invisible to the naked eye. MPB are well adapted to the harsh conditions of estuaries, where temperature, light, nutrient and hydrodynamic conditions regularly fluctuate.…”

Section: Microphytobenthosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Single‐celled, photosynthesizing organisms are quantitatively important for estuarine and shelf primary productivity, benthopelagic exchange of sediment, the cycling of nutrients and oxygen production (Chen et al, ; Jones et al, ; Longphuirt et al, ; Pinckney, ). MPB productivity also supports energy transfer to higher organisms (MacIntyre et al, ) with compositional changes in the MPB taxa altering the nutritional quality of this primary food source (Müller‐Navarra, Brett, Liston, & Goldman, ).…”

Section: Microphytobenthosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These authors propose that benthic productivity in continental shelf regions is a neglected area in biogeochemical and trophodynamic studies. The South Atlantic Bight may be representative of over 70% of global continental shelves, but global estimates of benthic primary productivity remain poor (Charpy‐Roubaud & Sournia, ) and widely debated (Cai, ; Pinckney, ) as the benthic productivity in these areas is rarely considered.…”

Section: Individual Ecosystem Functions and Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite estimates that the MPB are responsible for the production of around 500 million tons of organic carbon annually (Cahoon, ), their contribution to the carbon cycle in ecosystem and global biogeochemical models is often overlooked. Benthic productivity can exceed phytoplankton productivity in nearshore waters and continental shelf regions (Jahnke, Nelson, Marinelli, & Eckman, ; Jones et al, ; Pinckney, ). Although coastal waters account for just 10% of the ocean's surface area, these areas are rich in nutrients.…”

Section: Individual Ecosystem Functions and Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of microphytobenthos in soft‐sediment ecological networks and their contribution to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services

2019

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1. Sediment dwelling, microscopic primary producers, that occupy sediments in the photic zone, are commonly referred to as microphytobenthos (MPB). The MPB are essential components of soft-sediment systems, but are often overlooked when assessing coastal ecosystem functionality and service delivery. 2. The MPB are involved in several complex interactions and feedback that underpin the delivery of vital ecosystem services. MPB profoundly influence the flow and cycling of carbon and nutrients, such as nitrogen, directly and indirectly underpinning highly productive shallow water marine food webs. The MPB can also stabilize sediments through the formation of biofilms, and significantly improve water quality by mediating the benthic-pelagic coupling of nutrients, sediment and pollutants. 3. The functional role of the MPB is compromised by increasing anthropogenic pressures such as nutrient enrichment, sedimentation, herbicides and emerging contaminants such as microplastic pollution. However, MPB are extremely good at buffering the effects of these land-sourced stressors at the interface between land and sea. 4. Synthesis. Society often appreciates the final provisioning of goods and services from our coastal marine environments. However, provisioning services are only possible due to the multitude of supporting and regulating services that underpin them. Microphytobenthos (MPB) are central to benthic ecological networks, and contribute to ecosystem service delivery through various pathways. Understanding the critical role of MPB in complex networks is therefore essential to appreciate their importance in ecosystem function and service delivery into the future. K E Y W O R D S benthic microalgae, ecosystem services, estuarine systems, microphytobenthos, service delivery, soft-sediment ecology 816 | Journal of Ecology HOPE Et al.

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Section: Microphytobenthosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Microphytobenthosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Individual Ecosystem Functions and Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Individual Ecosystem Functions and Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of microphytobenthos in soft‐sediment ecological networks and their contribution to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services

2019

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“…Over the last decades, microphytobenthos have attracted considerable interest mainly due to their role as a main contributor to the productivity of estuarine and shallow coastal areas (Hope et al, 2019). With a global annual gross primary production estimated to be in the order of 500 Mt of carbon, these ecosystems can be responsible for up to 20% of the ocean gross primary production although occupying only 0.03% of the ocean surface area (Pinckney, 2018). For estuarine ecosystems, microphytobenthos primary production can be comparable to that of the phytoplankton and can provide up to more than 50% of total ecosystem-level carbon fixation (Underwood and Kromkamp, 1999).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: Advances and Challenges in Microphytobenthos Research: From Cell Biology to Coastal Ecosystem Function

et al. 2020

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The Microbiome of Coastal Sediments

Underwood

Dumbrell

McGenity

et al. 2022

The Microbiomes of Humans, Animals, Plants, and the Environment

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Coastal zones are amongst the most productive marine environments and many are highly impacted by anthropogenic activity. Coastal zones are key regions for the transformation of land-based inputs of nutrients and pollutants and provide many essential ecosystem services for human society. Periods of tidal exposure and submergence, coupled with seasonal variation in land-based inputs, result in intertidal habitats characterized by highly variable environmental conditions that pose crucial adaptive challenges for organisms. This review focusses on the microbiome of coastal sediments consisting of protists (especially diatoms), bacteria, archaea and fungi. The diversity, distribution, production, adaptations, and interactions between these groups are reviewed. Coastal microbiomes are characterized by high rates of biogeochemical activity. Photoautotrophic diatoms exhibit complex patterns of behavior to cope with a highly variable light climate. Multiple species-species interactions between autotrophs and heterotrophs contribute to the cycling of carbon and nitrogen. In sediments, autotrophic and heterotrophic processes are closely coupled both spatially and temporally. Bacteria and archaea control the nitrogen-and carbon cycles while taxonomic diversity is influenced by gradients of organic matter, nitrogen compounds, sulfide, and oxygen. Fungi are important components of coastal salt marsh sediment microbiomes but their role in unvegetated sediments is less well understood. This review considers the high human impact on coastal sediments and the importance of nutrient gradients and pollution pressures (hydrocarbons) in affecting diversity and species distribution.

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A Mini-Review of the Contribution of Benthic Microalgae to the Ecology of the Continental Shelf in the South Atlantic Bight

Cited by 34 publications

References 58 publications

The role of microphytobenthos in soft‐sediment ecological networks and their contribution to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services

The role of microphytobenthos in soft‐sediment ecological networks and their contribution to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services

Editorial: Advances and Challenges in Microphytobenthos Research: From Cell Biology to Coastal Ecosystem Function

The Microbiome of Coastal Sediments

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