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Phosphorus Cycling in the Red Tide Incubator Region of Monterey Bay in Response to Upwelling

Journal Article · · Frontiers in Microbiology
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
  3. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA (United States)
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This study explores the cycling of phosphorus (P) in the euphotic zone following upwelling in northeastern Monterey Bay (the Red Tide Incubator region) of coastal California, with particular emphasis on how bacteria and phytoplankton that form harmful algal blooms mediate and respond to changes in P availability. In situ measurements of nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton community composition, and cell-specific alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity (determined via enzyme-labeled fluorescence assay) were measured during three cruises. Upwelling led to a 10-fold increase in dissolved inorganic (DIP) in surface waters, reaching ~0.5μmol L-1. This DIP was drawn down rapidly as upwelling relaxed over a period of 1 week. Ratios of nitrate to DIP drawdown (~5:1, calculated as the change in nitrate divided by the change in DIP) were lower than the Redfield ratio of 16:1, suggesting that luxury P uptake was occurring as phytoplankton bloomed. Dissolved organic (DOP) remained relatively constant (~0.3μmol L-1) before and immediately following upwelling, but doubled as upwelling relaxed, likely due to phytoplankton excretion and release during grazing. This transition from a relatively high DIP:DOP ratio to lower DIP:DOP ratio was accompanied by a decline in the abundance of diatoms, which had low AP activity, toward localized, spatially heterogeneous blooms of dinoflagellates in the genera Prorocentrum, Ceratium, Dinophysis, Alexandrium, and Scrippsiella that showed high AP activity regardless of ambient DIP levels. A nutrient addition incubation experiment showed that phytoplankton growth was primarily limited by nitrate, followed by DIP and DOP, suggesting that P regulates phytoplankton physiology and competition, but is not a limiting nutrient in this region. AP activity was observed in bacteria associated with lysed cell debris and aggregates of particulate organic material, where it may serve to facilitate P regeneration, as well as affixed to the surfaces of intact phytoplankton cells, possibly indicative of close, beneficial phytoplankton–bacteria interactions.

Research Organization:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
OSTI ID:
1628051
Journal Information:
Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Name: Frontiers in Microbiology Vol. 3; ISSN 1664-302X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (13)

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Major nutrient concentrations in seawater from an incubation experiment carried out in China in April 2011 dataset January 2021
Species-specific variation in the phosphorus nutritional sources by microphytoplankton in a Mediterranean estuary journal August 2015
Atmospheric and Fluvial Nutrients Fuel Algal Blooms in the East China Sea journal January 2017
Dissolved Organic Phosphorus Production during Simulated Phytoplankton Blooms in a Coastal Upwelling System journal January 2012
The marine phosphorus cycle journal January 2013
Microbial and biogeochemical responses to projected future nitrate enrichment in the California upwelling system journal November 2014
Rapid and gradual modes of aerosol trace metal dissolution in seawater journal January 2015
Nutrients and Their Acquisition: Phosphorus Physiology in Microalgae book January 2016
Synthesizing the Effects of Submarine Groundwater Discharge on Marine Biota journal October 2018
Phosphorus solubility in aerosol particles related to particle sources and atmospheric acidification in Asian continental outflow journal January 2019
Phosphorus solubility in aerosol particles related to particle sources and atmospheric acidification in Asian continental outflow journal October 2018
Changing nutrient stoichiometry affects phytoplankton production, DOP accumulation and dinitrogen fixation – a mesocosm experiment in the eastern tropical North Atlantic journal January 2016

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Monterey Bay
alkaline phosphatase
harmful algal bloom
phosphorus cycle
red tide
upwelling