Effects of Enhanced UV-B on Pigment-based Phytoplankton Biomass and Composition of Mesocosm-enclosed Natural Marine Communities from Three Latitudes

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Canthaxanthin- and α-Tocopherol-Loaded Liposomes on Growth and Muscle Pigmentation of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Dietary inclusion of canthaxanthin, a common carotenoid pigment, has been long practiced in aquaculture to give the favorable flesh color in farmed salmonids. However, carotenoids are associated with limited solubility and poor physicochemical stability, and their dose in fish feed is widely regulated. In this study, we included canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes into fish diets and evaluated the effects of supplemented fish feed on fish growth, color, nutrition, and canthaxanthin deposition in fillets of cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The liposomes were fabricated using lecithin as phospholipids with the initial concentrations (IC = mcanthaxanthin/mlipids, % wt/wt) of canthaxanthin at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. Particle size characterization showed that liposome mean sizes were 109.70 ± 6.36, 105.10 ± 8.41, and 109.20 ± 5.66 nm (mean ± SD; n = 3), respectively, corresponding with liposomes synthesized at canthaxanthin IC = 0.1%, IC = 0.5%, and IC = 1%. The polydispersity index (PDI) of all samples remained lower than 0.2. There were no significant differences in the mean size and PDI between blank lecithin liposome and canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes. The encapsulation efficiency of canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes decreased when increasing the concentration of canthaxanthin in lecithin liposomes, with EE% values of IC = 0.1%, IC = 0.5%, and IC = 1% being 85.3 ± 2.1, 72.9 ± 1.8, and 55.3 ± 2.6, respectively. For fish growth, at the end of the experiment, final weight was significantly higher in fish fed with diet supplemented with 1 g/kg canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes (IC = 0.5%) in comparison to other experimental control groups. The difference in color of the salmon muscle was most apparent after two months of feeding. However, after three months, there was no noticeable change in the color score of the fish muscle, indicating saturation of color of the fish muscle. The above results suggest the potential of canthaxanthin- and a-tocopherol-loaded liposomes as the red pigment in fish aquaculture.

Feeding and grazing impact by the bloom-forming euglenophyte Eutreptiella eupharyngea on marine eubacteria and cyanobacteria

The phototrophic euglenophyte Eutreptiella eupharyngea often causes blooms in the coastal waters of many countries, but its mode of nutrition has not been assessed. This species has previously been considered as exclusively auxotrophic. To explore whether E. eupharyngea is a mixotrophic species, the protoplasm of E. eupharyngea cells were examined using light, epifluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy after eubacteria, the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp., and diverse algal species were provided as potential prey. Furthermore, the ingestion rates of E. eupharyngea KR on eubacteria or Synechococcus sp. as a function of prey concentration were measured. In addition, grazing by natural populations of euglenophytes on natural populations of eubacteria in Masan Bay was investigated. This study is the first to report that E. eupharyngea is a mixotrophic species. Among the potential prey organisms offered, E. eupharyngea fed only on eubacteria and Synechococcus sp., and the maximum ingestion rates of these two organisms measured in the laboratory were 5.7 and 0.7 cells predator^-1 h^-1, respectively. During the field experiments, the maximum ingestion rates and grazing impacts of euglenophytes, including E. eupharyngea, on natural populations of eubacteria were 11.8 cells predator^-1 h^-1 and 1.228 d^-1, respectively. Therefore, euglenophytes could potentially have a considerable grazing impact on marine bacterial populations.

Productivity of aquatic primary producers under global climate change

The productivity of aquatic primary producers depends on a number of biotic and abiotic factors, such as pH, CO2 concentration, temperature, nutrient availability, solar UV and PAR irradiances, mixing frequency as well as herbivore pressure and the presence of viruses, among others. The effects of these factors, within a climate change context, may be additive, synergistic or antagonistic. Since some of them, e.g. solar radiation and temperature, vary along a latitudinal gradient, this perspective about the effects of global climate change on primary producers will consider ecosystems individually, separated into polar (Arctic and Antarctic), temperate and tropical waters. As coastal waters are characterized by lower light penetration and higher DOM and nutrient concentrations, they are considered in a separate section. Freshwater systems are also governed by different conditions and therefore also treated in their own section. Overall, we show that although there are general common trends of changes in variables associated with global change (e.g. the impact of UVR on photosynthesis tends to decrease with increasing temperature and nutrient input), the responses of aquatic primary producers have great variability in the different ecosystems across latitudes. This is mainly due to direct or indirect effects associated with physico-chemical changes that occur within water bodies. Therefore we stress the need for regional predictions on the responses of primary producers to climate change as it is not warranted to extrapolate from one system to another.

The Southern Ocean ecosystem under multiple climate change stresses--an integrated circumpolar assessment

A quantitative assessment of observed and projected environmental changes in the Southern Ocean (SO) with a potential impact on the marine ecosystem shows: (i) large proportions of the SO are and will be affected by one or more climate change processes; areas projected to be affected in the future are larger than areas that are already under environmental stress, (ii) areas affected by changes in sea-ice in the past and likely in the future are much larger than areas affected by ocean warming. The smallest areas (<1% area of the SO) are affected by glacier retreat and warming in the deeper euphotic layer. In the future, decrease in the sea-ice is expected to be widespread. Changes in iceberg impact resulting from further collapse of ice-shelves can potentially affect large parts of shelf and ephemerally in the off-shore regions. However, aragonite undersaturation (acidification) might become one of the biggest problems for the Antarctic marine ecosystem by affecting almost the entire SO. Direct and indirect impacts of various environmental changes to the three major habitats, sea-ice, pelagic and benthos and their biota are complex. The areas affected by environmental stressors range from 33% of the SO for a single stressor, 11% for two and 2% for three, to <1% for four and five overlapping factors. In the future, areas expected to be affected by 2 and 3 overlapping factors are equally large, including potential iceberg changes, and together cover almost 86% of the SO ecosystem.

Does enhanced solar UV-B radiation affect marine primary producers in their natural habitats?

This article is a highlight of the paper by Li et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology as well as a short summary of the research on the effects of solar UV-B radiation on primary production in the oceans. Laboratory experiments under controlled conditions using artificial light sources indicate species-specific damage of many phytoplankton groups. Mesocosm studies in enclosures of limited volume allow analyzing UV effects in multigeneration monitoring of natural assemblages. Field studies to determine the effects of short-wavelength solar radiation require sensitive instrumentation and measurements over extended areas of the open ocean to yield significant results. Results from a cruise described in the paper by Li et al. indicate clear effects of UV-B and UV-A on the photosynthetic carbon fixation of phytoplankton communities with spatial differences between coastal and open-ocean waters. Increasing temperatures and acidification in the ocean due to global climate change may exacerbate the detrimental effects of solar UV-B radiation.

Effects of UV radiation on aquatic ecosystems and interactions with climate change

The health of freshwater and marine ecosystems is critical to life on Earth. The impact of solar UV-B radiation is one potential stress factor that can have a negative impact on the health of certain species within these ecosystems. Although there is a paucity of data and information regarding the effect of UV-B radiation on total ecosystem structure and function, several recent studies have addressed the effects on various species within each trophic level. Climate change, acid deposition, and changes in other anthropogenic stressors such as pollutants alter UV exposure levels in inland and coastal marine waters. These factors potentially have important consequences for a variety of aquatic organisms including waterborne human pathogens. Recent results have demonstrated the negative impacts of exposure to UV-B radiation on primary producers, including effects on cyanobacteria, phytoplankton, macroalgae and aquatic plants. UV-B radiation is an environmental stressor for many aquatic consumers, including zooplankton, crustaceans, amphibians, fish, and corals. Many aquatic producers and consumers rely on avoidance strategies, repair mechanisms and the synthesis of UV-absorbing substances for protection. However, there has been relatively little information generated regarding the impact of solar UV-B radiation on species composition within natural ecosystems or on the interaction of organisms between trophic levels within those ecosystems. There remains the question as to whether a decrease in population size of the more sensitive primary producers would be compensated for by an increase in the population size of more tolerant species, and therefore whether there would be a net negative impact on the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide by these ecosystems. Another question is whether there would be a significant impact on the quantity and quality of nutrients cycling through the food web, including the generation of food proteins for humans. Interactive effects of UV radiation with changes in other stressors, including climate change and pollutants, are likely to be particularly important.

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on the productivity and composition of freshwater phytoplankton communities

The net influence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR; 280-400 nm) on freshwater phytoplankton communities depends on the photon flux density, duration, and spectral quality of exposure and the UVR sensitivity of the assemblage in terms of photosynthetic impairment, biochemical composition, and nutrient assimilation mechanisms. Such effects are mitigated to varying degrees by photoacclimation and selective adaptation at the community level. Variation in UVR penetration among lakes is considerable, largely due to differences in chromophoric dissolved organic matter concentrations. Documented losses of areal daily primary production in lakes due to UVR range from negligible (2.5%) to appreciable (26%). UVR has the potential to alter algal biochemical composition and therefore indirectly affect higher trophic levels. There is evidence that algal nutritional status can influence UVR sensitivity, and that UVR can inhibit uptake and assimilation of inorganic nutrients, but results have been inconsistent. Taxonomic variability in susceptibility to the effects of UVR exists, and likely reflects variation in cell size and shape, concentrations of photoprotective pigments, and capacity to repair UVR photodamage. Suggestions for future research include: (1) resolution of taxon-specific UVR responses by way of single-cell techniques (e.g. enzyme-labelled fluorescence assays, microscope-based variable fluorometers) and (2) systematic comparative studies to link UVR exposure in natural habitats to community responses using the biological weighting function modelling approach. A more robust understanding of how sensitivity to UVR varies according to taxon and habitat is needed if predictions of its role in ecosystem functioning, particularly in connection with climate change, are to be meaningful.

Mediated modeling of the impacts of enhanced UV-B radiation on ecosystem services

This article describes the use of group model building to facilitate interaction with stakeholders, synthesize research results and assist in the development of hypotheses about climate change at the global level in relation to UV-B radiation and ecosystem service valuation. The objective was to provide a platform for integration of the various research components within a multidisciplinary research project as a basis for interaction with stakeholders with backgrounds in areas other than science. An integrated summary of the scientific findings, along with stakeholder input, was intended to produce a bridge between science and policymaking. We used a mediated modeling approach that was implemented as a pilot project in Ushuaia, Argentina. The investigation was divided into two participatory workshops: data gathering and model evaluation. Scientists and the local stakeholders supported the valuation of ecosystem services as a useful common denominator for integrating the various scientific results. The concept of economic impacts in aquatic and marsh systems was represented by values for ecosystem services altered by UV-B radiation. In addition, direct local socioeconomic impacts of enhanced UV-B radiation were modeled, using data from Ushuaia. We worked with 5 global latitudinal regions, focusing on net primary production and biomass for the marine system and on 3 plant species for the marsh system. Ecosystem service values were calculated for both sectors. The synthesis model reflects the conclusions from the literature and from experimental research at the global level. UV-B is not a significant stress for the marshes, relative to the potential impact of increases in the sea level. Enhanced UV-B favors microbial dynamics in marine systems that could cause a significant shift from primary producers to bacteria at the community level. In addition, synergetic effects of UV-B and certain pollutants potentiate the shift to heterotrophs. This may impact the oceanic carbon cycle by increasing the ratio of respiratory to photosynthetic organisms in surface waters and, thus, the role of the ocean as a carbon sink for atmospheric CO2. In summary, although changes in the marine sector due to anthropogenic influences may affect global climate change, marshes are expected to primarily be affected by climate change.

Effects of solar UV radiation on aquatic ecosystems and interactions with climate change

Recent results continue to show the general consensus that ozone-related increases in UV-B radiation can negatively influence many aquatic species and aquatic ecosystems (e.g., lakes, rivers, marshes, oceans). Solar UV radiation penetrates to ecological significant depths in aquatic systems and can affect both marine and freshwater systems from major biomass producers (phytoplankton) to consumers (e.g., zooplankton, fish, etc.) higher in the food web. Many factors influence the depth of penetration of radiation into natural waters including dissolved organic compounds whose concentration and chemical composition are likely to be influenced by future climate and UV radiation variability. There is also considerable evidence that aquatic species utilize many mechanisms for photoprotection against excessive radiation. Often, these protective mechanisms pose conflicting selection pressures on species making UV radiation an additional stressor on the organism. It is at the ecosystem level where assessments of anthropogenic climate change and UV-related effects are interrelated and where much recent research has been directed. Several studies suggest that the influence of UV-B at the ecosystem level may be more pronounced on community and trophic level structure, and hence on subsequent biogeochemical cycles, than on biomass levels per se.

Ultraviolet B-photoprotection Efficiency of Mesocosm-enclosed Natural Phytoplankton Communities from Different Latitudes: Rimouski (Canada) and Ubatuba (Brazil)

Photoprotection against UV-B radiation (UVBR; 280-320 nm) was examined in natural phytoplankton communities from two coastal environments at different latitudes: temperate Rimouski (Canada) and tropical Ubatuba (Brazil). Mesocosm experiments were performed at these sites to examine the response of phytoplankton to increases in UVBR that corresponded to local depletions of 30% and 60% in atmospheric ozone levels (low and high UVBR treatments, respectively). A fluorescence method using a pulse amplitude modulation fluorometer (Xe-PAM, Walz, Germany) with selective UV filters was used to estimate photoprotection, and these results were compared with an index of mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA) concentrations determined using spectrophotometry of methanol extracts. The present study provided the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the suitability of this in vivo fluorescence method for the estimation of UV photoprotection efficiency in natural phytoplankton. No significant differences were found for most of the variables analyzed between the light treatments used at both sites, but differences were found between sites throughout the duration of the experiments. Vertical mixing, used to maintain cells in suspension, likely alleviated serious UVBR-induced damage during both experiments by reducing the length of time of exposure to the highest UVBR irradiances at the surface. In Rimouski, this was the main factor minimizing the effects of treatment, because optical properties of the coastal seawater rapidly attenuated UVBR throughout the water column of the ca 2 m deep mesocosms. In this location, synthesis of MAAs and photoprotective pigments likely contributed to the observed phototolerance of phytoplankton and, hence, to their growth; however, in a comparison of the UVBR treatments, these variables showed no differences. In Ubatuba, where nutrient concentrations were significantly lower than those in Rimouski, light attenuation was less than that in Rimouski and UVBR reached the bottom of the mesocosms. UVBR penetration and the forced vertical mixing of the cells, without the possibility of vertical migration below this photostress zone, resulted in photo-inhibition, because confinement in the mesocosms forced cells to remain constantly exposed to high levels of irradiance during the daytime. Hence, additional effects of UVBR were masked in this experiment, because cells were damaged too much and phytoplankton populations were rapidly declining. There was also an overall preservation of MAAs, in contrast with chlorophyll (Chl) degradation, in spite of the fact that this UV screening was not sufficient to counteract photo-inhibition, which suggests an important role for these molecules, either in the overall photoprotection strategy or in other physiological processes. Altogether, local water characteristics, namely attenuation, mixing, and nutrients concentration, can strongly modulate the photoprotection strategies used by natural phytoplankton populations in coastal environments.