Temporal variations in fatty acid composition of deep-sea holothurians: evidence of bentho-pelagic coupling

Hudson, Ian R.; Pond, David W.; Billett, David; Tyler, Paul A.; Lampitt, Richard S.; Wolff, George A.

doi:10.3354/meps281109

Cited by 71 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The importance of the composition as well as the amount of the OM reaching the deep-sea floor, and its influence on the benthic community, are becoming apparent (Billett et al, this volume;Smith et al, 2001;Wigham et al, 2003a;Hudson et al, 2004;Ruhl & Smith, 2004;Neto et al, 2006). The timing and make-up of the phytoplankton bloom, zooplankton interactions (repackaging and recycling) and the physical dynamics of the water column can all affect the quality and quantity of the seasonal POM flux to the sea floor (Turner, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytopigments as biomarkers of selectivity in abyssal holothurians; interspecific differences in response to a changing food supply

FitzGeorge-Balfour

Billett

Wolff

et al. 2010

Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography

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suggested by the interspecific differences in holothurian ovarian biochemistry. This may lead to large community changes as seen at the PAP, which can alter the reworking rates of sediment, probably affecting carbon burial. The study also demonstrated that using the presence of biomarkers in gut contents to infer feeding selectivity should be used with caution. Only biomarkers in gut contents that are not present in the tissues of the holothurians (e.g chlorophyll a) should be used to determine their feeding selectivity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytopigments as biomarkers of selectivity in abyssal holothurians; interspecific differences in response to a changing food supply

FitzGeorge-Balfour

Billett

Wolff

et al. 2010

Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography

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“…We expect that the 13 C content would increase during a longer experiment. Many benthic foraminifera contain high amounts of this "essential" fatty acid (Gooday et al, 2002, Suhr et al, 2008, which is also dominant in deep-sea echinoderms (Howell et al, 2003, Hudson et al, 2004. It is possible that particular biomechanical properties of 20:4(n-6) facilitate life at increased hydrostatic pressures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uptake of algal carbon and the likely synthesis of an "essential" fatty acid by Uvigerina ex. gr. semiornata (Foraminifera) within the Pakistan margin oxygen minimum zone: evidence from fatty acid biomarker and 13C tracer experiments

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Foraminifera are an important component of benthic communities in oxygen-depleted settings, where they potentially play a significant role in the processing of organic matter. We tracked the uptake of a 13 C-labelled algal food source into individual fatty acids in the benthic foraminiferal species Uvigerina ex. gr. semiornata from the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The tracer experiments were conducted on the Pakistan margin during the late/post monsoon period (August-October 2003). A monoculture of the diatom Thalassiosira weisflogii was 13 C-labelled and used to simulate a pulse of phytoplankton in two complementary experiments. A lander system was used for in situ incubations at 140 m water depth and for 2.5 days in duration. Shipboard laboratory incubations of cores collected at 140 m incorporated an oxystat system to maintain ambient dissolved oxygen concentrations and were terminated after 5 days. Uptake of diatoms was rapid, with a high incorporation of diatom fatty acids into foraminifera after ∼ 2 days in both experiments. Ingestion of the diatom food source was indicated by the increase over time in the quantity of diatom biomarker fatty acids in the foraminifera and by the high percentage of 13 C in many of the fatty acids present at the endpoint of both in situ and laboratory-based experiments. These results indicate that U . ex. gr. semiornata rapidly ingested the diatom food source and that these foraminifera will play an important role in the short-term cycling of organic matter within this OMZ environment.

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“…The changes observed in the abyssal megafauna at the Northeast Atlantic site may be related to changes in both the quantity and quality of food supply (51,52). Biochemical indicators suggest that some holothurians are either selectively feeding on or selectively digesting different combinations of nutrient pigments (51,53). This selectivity, combined with differences in feeding tentacle structure, provide a mechanism for resource partitioning, even among congeneric holothurians (54).…”

Section: Deep-sea Community Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate, carbon cycling, and deep-ocean ecosystems

Smith

Ruhl

Bett

et al. 2009

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

215

128

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Climate variation affects surface ocean processes and the production of organic carbon, which ultimately comprises the primary food supply to the deep-sea ecosystems that occupy Ϸ60% of the Earth's surface. Warming trends in atmospheric and upper ocean temperatures, attributed to anthropogenic influence, have occurred over the past four decades. Changes in upper ocean temperature influence stratification and can affect the availability of nutrients for phytoplankton production. Global warming has been predicted to intensify stratification and reduce vertical mixing. Research also suggests that such reduced mixing will enhance variability in primary production and carbon export flux to the deep sea. The dependence of deep-sea communities on surface water production has raised important questions about how climate change will affect carbon cycling and deep-ocean ecosystem function. Recently, unprecedented time-series studies conducted over the past two decades in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic at >4,000-m depth have revealed unexpectedly large changes in deep-ocean ecosystems significantly correlated to climate-driven changes in the surface ocean that can impact the global carbon cycle. Climate-driven variation affects oceanic communities from surface waters to the much-overlooked deep sea and will have impacts on the global carbon cycle. Data from these two widely separated areas of the deep ocean provide compelling evidence that changes in climate can readily influence deep-sea processes. However, the limited geographic coverage of these existing time-series studies stresses the importance of developing a more global effort to monitor deepsea ecosystems under modern conditions of rapidly changing climate.

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Temporal variations in fatty acid composition of deep-sea holothurians: evidence of bentho-pelagic coupling

Cited by 71 publications

References 43 publications

Phytopigments as biomarkers of selectivity in abyssal holothurians; interspecific differences in response to a changing food supply

Phytopigments as biomarkers of selectivity in abyssal holothurians; interspecific differences in response to a changing food supply

Uptake of algal carbon and the likely synthesis of an "essential" fatty acid by <i>Uvigerina</i> ex. gr. <i>semiornata</i> (Foraminifera) within the Pakistan margin oxygen minimum zone: evidence from fatty acid biomarker and <sup>13</sup>C tracer experiments

Climate, carbon cycling, and deep-ocean ecosystems

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