Temporal variability of chlorophyll in Narragansett Bay, 1973–1990

Li, Yaqin; Smayda, Theodore J.

doi:10.1006/jmsc.1998.0383

Cited by 53 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Narragansett Bay has seasonal blooms of diatoms that have been monitored through weekly cell counts for over 50 y at a long-term time-series station (41,42). Five eukaryotic surface metatranscriptome samples were taken from surface seawater collected during May and June of 2012 at the time-series site, yielding over 358 million 100-bp, paired-end cDNA reads from the field [sample 1 (S1)-S5] (SI Appendix, Table 1).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metatranscriptome analyses indicate resource partitioning between diatoms in the field

Alexander

Jenkins

Rynearson

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

157

160

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Diverse communities of marine phytoplankton carry out half of global primary production. The vast diversity of the phytoplankton has long perplexed ecologists because these organisms coexist in an isotropic environment while competing for the same basic resources (e.g., inorganic nutrients). Differential niche partitioning of resources is one hypothesis to explain this "paradox of the plankton," but it is difficult to quantify and track variation in phytoplankton metabolism in situ. Here, we use quantitative metatranscriptome analyses to examine pathways of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) metabolism in diatoms that cooccur regularly in an estuary on the east coast of the United States (Narragansett Bay). Expression of known N and P metabolic pathways varied between diatoms, indicating apparent differences in resource utilization capacity that may prevent direct competition. Nutrient amendment incubations skewed N/P ratios, elucidating nutrient-responsive patterns of expression and facilitating a quantitative comparison between diatoms. The resource-responsive (RR) gene sets deviated in composition from the metabolic profile of the organism, being enriched in genes associated with N and P metabolism. Expression of the RR gene set varied over time and differed significantly between diatoms, resulting in opposite transcriptional responses to the same environment. Apparent differences in metabolic capacity and the expression of that capacity in the environment suggest that diatom-specific resource partitioning was occurring in Narragansett Bay. This high-resolution approach highlights the molecular underpinnings of diatom resource utilization and how cooccurring diatoms adjust their cellular physiology to partition their niche space.phytoplankton | diatom | nutrient physiology | niche partitioning | metatranscriptomics T he stability and primary productivity of ecosystems have long been linked to the diversity of primary producers (1, 2). This linkage is well documented in terrestrial systems (3-7) and is increasingly being established for marine systems (8-11). Marine phytoplankton generate roughly half of global primary production (12-14) and play a critical role in oceanic ecosystem structure and function. Within the phytoplankton, the diatoms generate an estimated 40% of primary production (15). Thus, diatoms alone exert a profound influence over marine primary production and global carbon (C) cycling, particularly in coastal margins and estuaries.Phytoplankton are extremely diverse, with estimates of over 200,000 extant species (16,17). This dramatic level of taxonomic diversity in the plankton is difficult to resolve with the apparently limited number of niches in the pelagic habitat because these organisms compete for the same two basic resources: light and nutrients. As was highlighted by Hutchinson (18), the phytoplankton violate Gause's law of competitive exclusion, which posits that two organisms competing for the same resources cannot coexist. Much thought has gone toward identifying the cause of the "pa...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metatranscriptome analyses indicate resource partitioning between diatoms in the field

Alexander

Jenkins

Rynearson

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

157

160

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“…Similarly, Borkman & Smayda (1998) documented a significant increase in Secchi-disk depth in Narragansett Bay from 1972 to 1996 associated with reduced suspended solids due to improved wastewater treatment. A long-term decline in chlorophyll has also been observed in nearby Narragansett Bay (Li & Smayda 1998, Fulweiler et al 2007.Even though nutrient levels were usually lower in the inner harbor of New Bedford than at the sewage outfall, chl a levels at Stn 8 were generally the highest of any of our stations. We suspect that the reason for this is physical.…”

supporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Plankton studies in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA. VI. Phytoplankton and water quality, 1987 to 1998

Turner

Borkman²,

Lincoln³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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From October 1987 through September 1998, phytoplankton composition, inorganic nutrients, temperature, salinity, water clarity, and chlorophyll a (chl a) + phaeopigments were monitored during 141 monthly cruises in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA. There were large seasonal and interannual variations in nitrate, silicate and phytoplankton abundance and composition. There were no consistent interannual patterns of recurrent spring blooms, measured as either chl a or phytoplankton cell abundance. Rather, blooms of various taxa were sporadic, particularly diatom blooms in the late summer and fall. Other parameters were similar bay-wide on a given day, and over seasons and years for stations away from New Bedford Harbor, but concentrations of ammonium, phosphate, and chl a were elevated at the New Bedford sewage outfall, prior to its conversion to secondary treatment in September 1996. After conversion, increased water transparency and decreased levels of ammonium indicated improved water quality at the outfall. Bay-wide chl a and nitrate had significant declines over time from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. There were no significant linear trends with time for annual means of temperature, but there was a significant trend of increased warming in spring. Phytoplankton abundance (0.012 to 26.0 × 10 6 cells l -1, 1988 to 1998) was higher than reported in other coastal waters of New England, due to preservation that did not destroy the delicate microflagellates and phytoflagellates which dominated phytoplankton abundance. Potentially harmful algal species included diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, and the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense. Buzzards Bay is a favorable habitat for phytoplankton in that it is wellmixed and well-illuminated, and nutrient-replete.KEY WORDS: Buzzards Bay · Phytoplankton · Nutrients · Estuary · Water quality · Long-term trends Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 376: [103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122] 2009 cate dinoflagellates, which do not disintegrate upon formalin preservation (e.g. Turner & Hopkins 1974). Studies of either live phytoplankton samples, or those using preservatives that do not destroy most athecate phytoplankton, have revealed that small athecate cells (typically designated as 'microflagellates') often dominate phytoplankton abundance (Durbin et al. 1975), particularly during warmer periods. High abundance of athecate microflagellates was found in several recent studies of phytoplankton assemblages in coastal waters from the northeastern United States (Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island: Karentz & Smayda 1984, Smayda 1983 Peconic Bay, Long Island, New York: Turner et al. 1983; Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts: numerous reports from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority at www.mwra.state.ma.us/harbor/ enquad/trlist.html).It is often difficult to compare responses of estuarine phytoplankton ass...

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“…The timing of the annual-cycle of phytoplankton has shifted from a prolonged, bay-wide, large winter-spring bloom to a less consistent, less intense, shorter winter bloom with short intense blooms in the spring, summer, or fall (Oviatt 2004, Nixon et al 2009). Data show that at least since the 1970s, the biomass of phytoplankton has decreased significantly in Narragansett Bay (Li and Smayda 1998, Smayda 1998, Nixon et al 2009. It has been hypothesized that these changes have been induced by climate change, specifically warming waters (Keller et al 1999;Oviatt et al 2003) and an increase in cloudy days (Nixon et al 2009).…”

Section: Plankton the Base Of The Marine Food Web Will Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Multidecadal Trends in Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions in Offshore Waters Near Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Smith

2017

Northeastern Naturalist

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Temporal variability of chlorophyll in Narragansett Bay, 1973–1990

Cited by 53 publications

References 26 publications

Metatranscriptome analyses indicate resource partitioning between diatoms in the field

Metatranscriptome analyses indicate resource partitioning between diatoms in the field

Plankton studies in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA. VI. Phytoplankton and water quality, 1987 to 1998

Multidecadal Trends in Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions in Offshore Waters Near Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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