Taxonomic difference in marine bloom-forming phytoplanktonic species affects the dynamics of both bloom-responding prokaryotes and prokaryotic viruses

The production of dissolved organic matter during phytoplankton blooms and consumption by heterotrophic prokaryotes promote marine carbon biogeochemical cycling. Although prokaryotic viruses presumably affect this process, their dynamics during blooms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the effects of taxonomic difference in bloom-forming phytoplankton on prokaryotes and their viruses. We analyzed the dynamics of coastal prokaryotic communities and viruses under the addition of dissolved intracellular fractions from taxonomically distinct phytoplankton, the diatom Chaetoceros sp. (CIF) and the raphidophycean alga Heterosigma akashiwo (HIF), using microcosm experiments. Ribosomal RNA gene amplicon and viral metagenomic analyses revealed that particular prokaryotes and prokaryotic viruses specifically increased in either CIF or HIF, indicating that taxonomic difference in bloom-forming phytoplankton promotes distinct dynamics of not only the prokaryotic community but also prokaryotic viruses. Furthermore, combining our microcosm experiments with publicly available environmental data mining, we identified both known and novel possible host-virus pairs. In particular, the growth of prokaryotes associating with phytoplanktonic organic matter, such as Bacteroidetes (Polaribacter and NS9 marine group), Vibrio spp., and Rhodobacteriales (Nereida and Planktomarina), was accompanied by an increase in viruses predicted to infect Bacteroidetes, Vibrio, and Rhodobacteriales, respectively. Collectively, our findings suggest that changes in bloom-forming species can be followed by an increase in a specific group of prokaryotes and their viruses and that elucidating these tripartite relationships among specific phytoplankton, prokaryotes, and prokaryotic viruses improves our understanding of coastal biogeochemical cycling in blooms.IMPORTANCEThe primary production during marine phytoplankton bloom and the consumption of the produced organic matter by heterotrophic prokaryotes significantly contribute to coastal biogeochemical cycles. While the activities of those heterotrophic prokaryotes are presumably affected by viral infection, the dynamics of their viruses during blooms are not fully understood. In this study, we experimentally demonstrated that intracellular fractions of taxonomically distinct bloom-forming phytoplankton species, the diatom Chaetoceros sp. and the raphidophycean alga Heterosigma akashiwo, promoted the growth of taxonomically different prokaryotes and prokaryotic viruses. Based on their dynamics and predicted hosts of those viruses, we succeeded in detecting already-known and novel possible host-virus pairs associating with either phytoplankton species. Altogether, we propose that the succession of bloom-forming phytoplankton would change the composition of the abundant prokaryotes, resulting in an increase in their viruses. These changes in viral composition, depending on bloom-forming species, would alter the dynamics and metabolism of prokaryotes, affecting biogeochemical cycling in blooms.

Bottom-associated phytoplankton bloom and its expansion in the Arctic Ocean

Phytoplankton production in the Arctic Ocean is increasing due to global warming-induced sea ice loss, which is generally assessed through satellite observations of surface chlorophyll. Here we show that a diatom bloom can occur near the seafloor rather than at the surface in the open Arctic Ocean. Light can reach the seafloor underlying nutrient-rich bottom water after the spring bloom because the surface water becomes oligotrophic and increases transparency in the region of shallow Arctic shelf. Our microcosm experiment demonstrated that diatoms formed a bloom when sediments on the shelf region, which contained abundant viable diatom cells, were exposed to even weak light reaching the seafloor (~1% of the surface irradiance). Repeated shipboard observations in the shelf region suggested that such bottom-associated blooms occurred occasionally and the primary production was significantly underestimated by satellite observations. The average bottom irradiance (2003-2017) in the Arctic Ocean is particularly promoted in summer in the eastern East Siberian Sea and the Foxe Basin, which were ice-covered throughout the year until the 1990s. Our results imply that hidden bottom-associated blooms are now widespread across the shallow Arctic shelf region.

Isotopic Insights into Organic Composition Differences between Supermicron and Submicron Sea Spray Aerosol

To elucidate the seawater biological and physicochemical factors driving differences in organic composition between supermicron and submicron sea spray aerosol (SSA_super and SSA_sub), carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) measurements were performed on size-segregated, nascent SSA collected during a phytoplankton bloom mesocosm experiment. The δ¹³C measurements indicate that SSA_super contains a mixture of particulate and dissolved organic material in the bulk seawater. After phytoplankton growth, a greater amount of freshly produced carbon was observed in SSA_super with the proportional contribution being modulated by bacterial activity, emphasizing the importance of the microbial loop in controlling the organic composition of SSA_super. Conversely, SSA_sub exhibited no apparent relationship with biological activity but tracked closely with surface tension measurements probing the topmost ∼0.2-1.5 μm of the sea surface microlayer. This probing depth is similar to a bubble's film thickness at the ocean surface, suggesting that SSA_sub organic composition may be influenced by the presence of surfactants at the air-sea interface that are transferred into SSA_sub by bubble bursting. Our findings illustrate the substantial impact of seawater dynamics on the pronounced organic compositional differences between SSA_super and SSA_sub and demonstrate that these two SSA populations should be considered separately when assessing their contribution to marine aerosols and climate.

Phytoplankton exudates and lysates support distinct microbial consortia with specialized metabolic and ecophysiological traits

Blooms of marine phytoplankton fix complex pools of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that are thought to be partitioned among hundreds of heterotrophic microbes at the base of the food web. While the relationship between microbial consumers and phytoplankton DOM is a key component of marine carbon cycling, microbial loop metabolism is largely understood from model organisms and substrates. Here, we took an untargeted approach to measure and analyze partitioning of four distinct phytoplankton-derived DOM pools among heterotrophic populations in a natural microbial community using a combination of ecogenomics, stable isotope probing (SIP), and proteomics. Each 13C-labeled exudate or lysate from a diatom or a picocyanobacterium was preferentially assimilated by different heterotrophic taxa with specialized metabolic and physiological adaptations. Bacteroidetes populations, with their unique high-molecular-weight transporters, were superior competitors for DOM derived from diatom cell lysis, rapidly increasing growth rates and ribosomal protein expression to produce new relatively high C:N biomass. Proteobacteria responses varied, with relatively low levels of assimilation by Gammaproteobacteria populations, while copiotrophic Alphaproteobacteria such as the Roseobacter clade, with their diverse array of ABC- and TRAP-type transporters to scavenge monomers and nitrogen-rich metabolites, accounted for nearly all cyanobacteria exudate assimilation and produced new relatively low C:N biomass. Carbon assimilation rates calculated from SIP data show that exudate and lysate from two common marine phytoplankton are being used by taxonomically distinct sets of heterotrophic populations with unique metabolic adaptations, providing a deeper mechanistic understanding of consumer succession and carbon use during marine bloom events.

Precipitation Mediates the Distribution but Not the Taxonomic Composition of Phytoplankton Communities in a Tributary of Three Gorges Reservoir

Precipitation is a driver of changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of phytoplankton communities. The ecological consequence of precipitation is important, but the underlying processes are not clear. Here we conducted an immediate prior- and after-event short-interval investigation in the Three Gorges Reservoir region, to test whether the short-term changes in the phytoplankton communities and functional groups could be predicted based on the precipitation level. We found that precipitation of moderate and high levels immediately changed the phytoplankton distribution and altered functional groups. According to structural equation model, the vertical velocity (λ = −0.81), light availability (Zeu/Zmix, λ = 0.47) and relative water column stability (RWCS, λ = 0.38) were important parameters for phytoplankton distribution during the precipitation event. Water quality did not directly affect phytoplankton distribution (λ = −0.11) and effects of precipitation on the water quality only lasted 1–2 days. The phytoplankton community was redistributed with some tolerance functional groups appearance, such as groups F, Lo, M and groups M, MP, TB, W1 appeared during- and after- precipitation event, respectively. We also found that mixing rather than flushing was the driving force for the decrease of phytoplankton biomass. Our study provided valuable data for reservoir regulation and evidence for predictions of phytoplankton during the precipitation events under different climate change scenarios.

Marine Microbial Food Web Networks During Phytoplankton Bloom and Non-bloom Periods: Warming Favors Smaller Organism Interactions and Intensifies Trophic Cascade

Microbial food web organisms are at the base of the functioning of pelagic ecosystems and support the whole marine food web. They are very reactive to environmental changes and their interactions are modified in response to different productive periods such as phytoplankton bloom and non-bloom as well as contrasted climatic years. To study ecological associations, identify potential interactions between microorganisms and study the structure of the microbial food web in coastal waters, a weekly monitoring was carried out in the Thau Lagoon on the French Mediterranean coast. The monitoring lasted from winter to late spring during two contrasting climatic years, a typical Mediterranean (2015) and a year with an extreme warm winter (2016). Correlation networks comprising 110 groups/taxa/species were constructed to characterize potential possible interactions between the microorganisms during bloom and non-bloom periods. Complex correlation networks during the bloom and dominated by negative intraguild correlations and positive correlations of phytoplankton with bacteria. Such pattern can be interpreted as a dominance of competition and mutualism. In contrast, correlation networks during the non-bloom period were less complex and mostly dominated by tintinnids associations with bacteria mostly referring to potential feeding on bacteria, which suggests a shift of biomass transfer from phytoplankton-dominated food webs during bloom to more bacterioplankton-based food webs during non-bloom. Inter-annual climatic conditions significantly modified the structure of microbial food webs. The warmer year favored relationships among smaller group/taxa/species at the expense of large phytoplankton and ciliates, possibly due to an intensification of the trophic cascade with a potential shift in energy circulation through microbial food web. Our study compares a typical Mediterranean spring with another mimicking the prospected intensification of global warming; if such consideration holds true, the dominance of future coastal marine ecosystems will be shifted from the highly productive herbivorous food web to the less productive microbial food web.

Differential Responses of a Coastal Prokaryotic Community to Phytoplanktonic Organic Matter Derived from Cellular Components and Exudates

The phytoplanktonic production and prokaryotic consumption of organic matter significantly contribute to marine carbon cycling. Organic matter released from phytoplankton via three processes (exudation of living cells, cell disruption through grazing, and viral lysis) shows distinct chemical properties. We herein investigated the effects of phytoplanktonic whole-cell fractions (WF) (representing cell disruption by grazing) and extracellular fractions (EF) (representing exudates) prepared from Heterosigma akashiwo, a bloom-forming Raphidophyceae, on prokaryotic communities using culture-based experiments. We analyzed prokaryotic community changes for two weeks. The shift in cell abundance by both treatments showed similar dynamics, reaching the first peak (~4.1×10⁶‍ ‍cells‍ ‍mL^–1) on day 3 and second peak (~1.1×10⁶‍ ‍cells‍ ‍mL^–1) on day 13. We classified the sequences obtained into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). A Bray-Curtis dissimilarity analysis revealed that the OTU-level community structure changed distinctively with the two treatments. Ten and 13 OTUs were specifically abundant in the WF and EF treatments, respectively. These OTUs were assigned as heterotrophic bacteria mainly belonging to the Alteromonadales (Gammaproteobacteria) and Bacteroidetes clades and showed successive dynamics following the addition of organic matter. We also analyzed the dynamics of these OTUs in the ocean using publicly available metagenomic data from a natural coastal bloom in Monterey Bay, USA. At least two WF treatment OTUs showed co-occurrence with H. akashiwo, indicating that the blooms of H. akashiwo also affect these OTUs in the ocean. The present results strongly suggest that the thriving and dead cells of uninfected phytoplankton differentially influence the marine prokaryotic community.

Quality-quantity trade-offs drive functional trait evolution in a model microalgal 'climate change winner'

Phytoplankton are the unicellular photosynthetic microbes that form the base of aquatic ecosystems, and their responses to global change will impact everything from food web dynamics to global nutrient cycles. Some taxa respond to environmental change by increasing population growth rates in the short-term and are projected to increase in frequency over decades. To gain insight into how these projected 'climate change winners' evolve, we grew populations of microalgae in ameliorated environments for several hundred generations. Most populations evolved to allocate a smaller proportion of carbon to growth while increasing their ability to tolerate and metabolise reactive oxygen species (ROS). This trade-off drives the evolution of traits that underlie the ecological and biogeochemical roles of phytoplankton. This offers evolutionary and a metabolic frameworks for understanding trait evolution in projected 'climate change winners' and suggests that short-term population booms have the potential to be dampened or reversed when environmental amelioration persists.

Upwelling Bays: How Coastal Upwelling Controls Circulation, Habitat, and Productivity in Bays

Bays in coastal upwelling regions are physically driven and biochemically fueled by their interaction with open coastal waters. Wind-driven flow over the shelf imposes a circulation in the bay, which is also influenced by local wind stress and thermal bay-ocean density differences. Three types of bays are recognized based on the degree of exposure to coastal currents and winds (wide-open bays, square bays, and elongated bays), and the characteristic circulation and stratification patterns of each type are described. Retention of upwelled waters in bays allows for dense phytoplankton blooms that support productive bay ecosystems. Retention is also important for the accumulation of larvae, which accounts for high recruitment in bays. In addition, bays are coupled to the shelf ecosystem through export of plankton-rich waters during relaxation events. Ocean acidification and deoxygenation are a concern in bays because local extrema can develop beneath strong stratification.

Factors driving the seasonal and hourly variability of sea-spray aerosol number in the North Atlantic

Four North Atlantic Aerosol and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) field campaigns from winter 2015 through spring 2018 sampled an extensive set of oceanographic and atmospheric parameters during the annual phytoplankton bloom cycle. This unique dataset provides four seasons of open-ocean observations of wind speed, sea surface temperature (SST), seawater particle attenuation at 660 nm (c _p,660, a measure of ocean particulate organic carbon), bacterial production rates, and sea-spray aerosol size distributions and number concentrations (N _SSA). The NAAMES measurements show moderate to strong correlations (0.56 < R < 0.70) between N _SSA and local wind speeds in the marine boundary layer on hourly timescales, but this relationship weakens in the campaign averages that represent each season, in part because of the reduction in range of wind speed by multiday averaging. N _SSA correlates weakly with seawater c_p,660 (R = 0.36, P << 0.01), but the correlation with c_p,660, is improved (R = 0.51, P < 0.05) for periods of low wind speeds. In addition, NAAMES measurements provide observational dependence of SSA mode diameter (d _m) on SST, with d _m increasing to larger sizes at higher SST (R = 0.60, P << 0.01) on hourly timescales. These results imply that climate models using bimodal SSA parameterizations to wind speed rather than a single SSA mode that varies with SST may overestimate SSA number concentrations (hence cloud condensation nuclei) by a factor of 4 to 7 and may underestimate SSA scattering (hence direct radiative effects) by a factor of 2 to 5, in addition to overpredicting variability in SSA scattering from wind speed by a factor of 5.

Functional Differences in the Blooming Phytoplankton Heterosigma akashiwo and Prorocentrum donghaiense Revealed by Comparative Metaproteomics

Phytoplankton blooms are natural phenomena in the ocean, which are the results of rapid cell growth of some phytoplankton species in a unique environment. However, little is known about the molecular events occurring during the bloom. Here, we compared metaproteomes of two phytoplankton Heterosigma akashiwo and Prorocentrum donghaiense in the coastal East China Sea. H. akashiwo and P. donghaiense accounted for 7.82% and 4.74% of the phytoplankton community protein abundances in the nonbloom sample, whereas they contributed to 60.13% and 78.09%, respectively, in their individual blooming samples. Compared with P. donghaiense, H. akashiwo possessed a significantly higher abundance of light-harvesting complex proteins, carbonic anhydrasem and RuBisCO. The blooming H. akashiwo cells expressed more proteins related to external nutrient acquisition, such as bicarbonate transporter SLC4, ammonium transporter, nitrite transporter, and alkaline phosphatase, while the blooming P. donghaiense cells highly expressed proteins related to extra- and intracellular organic nutrient utilization, such as amino acid transporter, 5'-nucleotidase, acid phosphatase, and tripeptidyl-peptidase. The strong capabilities of light harvesting, as well as acquisition and assimilation of inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, facilitated the formation of the H. akashiwo bloom under the high turbidity and inorganic nutrient-sufficient condition, whereas the competitive advantages in organic nutrient acquisition and reallocation guaranteed the occurrence of the P. donghaiense bloom under the inorganic nutrient-insufficient condition. This study highlights the power of metaproteomics for revealing the underlying molecular behaviors of different coexisting phytoplankton species and advances our knowledge on the formation of phytoplankton blooms.IMPORTANCE A deep understanding of the mechanisms driving bloom formation is a prerequisite for effective bloom management. Metaproteomics was applied in this study to reveal the adaptive and responsive strategies of two coexisting phytoplankton species, H. akashiwo and P. donghaiense, during their bloom periods. Metabolic features and niche divergence in light harvesting, as well as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus acquisition and assimilation likely promoted the bloom occurrence under different environments. The molecular behaviors of coexisting bloom-causing species will give clues for bloom monitoring and management in the oceans.

Detection of Phytoplankton Temporal Anomalies Based on Satellite Inherent Optical Properties: A Tool for Monitoring Phytoplankton Blooms

The baseline of a specific variable defines the average behavior of that variable and it must be built from long data series that represent its spatial and temporal variability. In coastal and marine waters, phytoplankton can produce blooms characterized by a wide range of total cells number or chlorophyll a concentration. Classifying a phytoplankton abundance increase as a bloom depends on the species, the study area and the season. The objective of this study was to define the baseline of satellite absorption coefficients in Todos Santos Bay (Baja California, Mexico) to determine the presence of phytoplankton blooms based on the satellite inherent optical properties index (satellite IOP index). Two field points were selected according to historical bloom reports. To build the baseline, the data of phytoplankton absorption coefficients ( a p h y , G I O P ) and detritus plus colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) ( a d C D O M , G I O P ) from the generalized inherent optical property (GIOP) satellite model of the NASA moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS-Aqua) sensor was studied for the period 2003 to 2016. Field data taken during a phytoplankton bloom event on June 2017 was used to validate the use of satellite products. The association between field and satellite data had a significant positive correlation. The satellite baseline detected a trend change from high values to low values of the satellite IOP index since 2010. Improved wastewater treatment to waters discharged into the Bay, and increased aquaculture of filter-feeding mollusks could have been the cause. The methodology proposed in this study can be a supplementary tool for permanent in situ monitoring programs. This methodology offers several advantages: A complete spatial coverage of the specific coastal area under study, appropriate temporal resolution and a tool for building an objective baseline to detect deviation from average conditions during phytoplankton bloom events.

Production of extracellular reactive oxygen species by phytoplankton: past and future directions

In aquatic environments, phytoplankton represent a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Many phytoplankton taxa also produce extracellular ROS under optimal growth conditions in culture. However, the physiological purpose of extracellular ROS production by phytoplankton and its wider significance to ecosystem-scale trophic interactions and biogeochemistry remain unclear. Here, we review the rates, taxonomic diversity, subcellular mechanisms and functions of extracellular superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production by phytoplankton with a view towards future research directions. Model eukaryotic phytoplankton and cyanobacteria produce extracellular superoxide and hydrogen peroxide at cell-normalized rates that span several orders of magnitude, both within and between taxa. The potential ecophysiological roles of extracellular ROS production are versatile and appear to be shared among diverse phytoplankton species, including ichthyotoxicity, allelopathy, growth promotion, and iron acquisition. Whereas extracellular hydrogen peroxide likely arises from a combination of intracellular and cell surface production mechanisms, extracellular superoxide is predominantly generated by specialized systems for transplasma membrane electron transport. Future insights into the molecular-level basis of extracellular ROS production, combined with existing high-sensitivity geochemical techniques for the direct quantification of ROS dynamics, will help unveil the ecophysiological and biogeochemical significance of phytoplankton-derived ROS in natural aquatic systems.

Combined Carbohydrates Support Rich Communities of Particle-Associated Marine Bacterioplankton

Carbohydrates represent an important fraction of labile and semi-labile marine organic matter that is mainly comprised of exopolymeric substances derived from phytoplankton exudation and decay. This study investigates the composition of total combined carbohydrates (tCCHO; >1 kDa) and the community development of free-living (0.2-3 μm) and particle-associated (PA) (3-10 μm) bacterioplankton during a spring phytoplankton bloom in the southern North Sea. Furthermore, rates were determined for the extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis that catalyzes the initial step in bacterial organic matter remineralization. Concentrations of tCCHO greatly increased during bloom development, while the composition showed only minor changes over time. The combined concentration of glucose, galactose, fucose, rhamnose, galactosamine, glucosamine, and glucuronic acid in tCCHO was a significant factor shaping the community composition of the PA bacteria. The richness of PA bacteria greatly increased in the post-bloom phase. At the same time, the increase in extracellular β-glucosidase activity was sufficient to explain the observed decrease in tCCHO, indicating the efficient utilization of carbohydrates by the bacterioplankton community during the post-bloom phase. Our results suggest that carbohydrate concentration and composition are important factors in the multifactorial environmental control of bacterioplankton succession and the enzymatic hydrolysis of organic matter during phytoplankton blooms.

Genome reconstructions indicate the partitioning of ecological functions inside a phytoplankton bloom in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica

Antarctica polynyas support intense phytoplankton blooms, impacting their environment by a substantial depletion of inorganic carbon and nutrients. These blooms are dominated by the colony-forming haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica and they are accompanied by a distinct bacterial population. Yet, the ecological role these bacteria may play in P. antarctica blooms awaits elucidation of their functional gene pool and of the geochemical activities they support. Here, we report on a metagenome (~160 million reads) analysis of the microbial community associated with a P. antarctica bloom event in the Amundsen Sea polynya (West Antarctica). Genomes of the most abundant Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria populations have been reconstructed and a network analysis indicates a strong functional partitioning of these bacterial taxa. Three of them (SAR92, and members of the Oceanospirillaceae and Cryomorphaceae) are found in close association with P. antarctica colonies. Distinct features of their carbohydrate, nitrogen, sulfur and iron metabolisms may serve to support mutualistic relationships with P. antarctica. The SAR92 genome indicates a specialization in the degradation of fatty acids and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (compounds released by P. antarctica) into dimethyl sulfide, an aerosol precursor. The Oceanospirillaceae genome carries genes that may enhance algal physiology (cobalamin synthesis). Finally, the Cryomorphaceae genome is enriched in genes that function in cell or colony invasion. A novel pico-eukaryote, Micromonas related genome (19.6 Mb, ~94% completion) was also recovered. It contains the gene for an anti-freeze protein, which is lacking in Micromonas at lower latitudes. These draft genomes are representative for abundant microbial taxa across the Southern Ocean surface.

Annual dynamics of North Sea bacterioplankton: seasonal variability superimposes short-term variation

The dynamics of coastal marine microbial communities are driven by seasonally changing abiotic and biotic factors as well as by rapidly occurring short-term changes such as river fresh water influxes or phytoplankton blooms. We examined the variability of the free-living bacterioplankton at Helgoland Roads (German Bight, North Sea) over a period of one year with high temporal and taxonomic resolution to reveal variation patterns and main influencing factors. 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing of the bacterioplankton community hints at annual recurrence and resilience of few main taxa belonging to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Flavobacteriia, Acidimicrobiia and Thermoplasmata. Multiple regression analyses with various environmental factors revealed changes in water current patterns and resulting phytoplankton blooms as the main driving factors for short-term variation and temperature as the overlying factor for seasonal variation. Comparison of bacterioplankton successions during spring and summer phytoplankton blooms revealed the same dominating Flavobacteriia operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but shifts in Roseobacter related OTUs (Alphaproteobacteria) and SAR92 clade members (Gammaproteobacteria). Network analysis suggests that during spring and summer phytoplankton blooms temperature-dependent guilds are formed. In conclusion, our data imply that short-term bacterioplankton successions in response to phytoplankton blooms are indirectly affected by temperature, which is a major niche-defining factor in the German Bight.

Zonation of bacterioplankton communities along aging upwelled water in the northern Benguela upwelling

Upwelling areas are shaped by enhanced primary production in surface waters, accompanied by a well-investigated planktonic succession. Although bacteria play an important role in biogeochemical cycles of upwelling systems, little is known about bacterial community composition and its development during upwelling events. The aim of this study was to investigate the succession of bacterial assemblages in aging upwelled water of the Benguela upwelling from coastal to offshore sites. Water from the upper mixed layer at 12 stations was sampled along two transects from the origin of the upwelling to a distance of 220 km. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was then used in a bacterial diversity analysis and major bacterial taxa were quantified by catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization. Additionally, bacterial cell numbers and bacterial production were assessed. Community statistical analysis revealed a reproducible zonation along the two transects, with four clusters of significantly different microbial assemblages. Clustering was mainly driven by phytoplankton composition and abundance. Similar to the temporal succession that occurs during phytoplankton blooms in temperate coastal waters, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated with Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria were dominant during algal blooming whereas "Pelagibacterales" were highly abundant in regions with low algal abundance. The most dominant heterotrophic OTU (9% of all reads) was affiliated with "Pelagibacterales" and showed a strong negative correlation with phytoplankton. By contrast, the second most abundant heterotrophic OTU (6% of all reads) was affiliated with the phylum Verrucomicrobia and correlated positively with phytoplankton. Together with the close relation of bacterial production and phytoplankton abundance, our results showed that bacterial community dynamics is strongly driven by the development and composition of the phytoplankton community.

Phaeocystis antarctica blooms strongly influence bacterial community structures in the Amundsen Sea polynya

Rising temperatures and changing winds drive the expansion of the highly productive polynyas (open water areas surrounded by sea ice) abutting the Antarctic continent. Phytoplankton blooms in polynyas are often dominated by the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, and they generate the organic carbon that enters the resident microbial food web. Yet, little is known about how Phaeocystis blooms shape bacterial community structures and carbon fluxes in these systems. We identified the bacterial communities that accompanied a Phaeocystis bloom in the Amundsen Sea polynya during the austral summers of 2007–2008 and 2010–2011. These communities are distinct from those determined for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and off the Palmer Peninsula. Diversity patterns for most microbial taxa in the Amundsen Sea depended on location (e.g., waters abutting the pack ice near the shelf break and at the edge of the Dotson glacier) and depth, reflecting different niche adaptations within the confines of this isolated ecosystem. Inside the polynya, P. antarctica coexisted with the bacterial taxa Polaribacter sensu lato, a cryptic Oceanospirillum, SAR92 and Pelagibacter. These taxa were dominated by a single oligotype (genotypes partitioned by Shannon entropy analysis) and together contributed up to 73% of the bacterial community. Size fractionation of the bacterial community [<3 μm (free-living bacteria) vs. >3 μm (particle-associated bacteria)] identified several taxa (especially SAR92) that were preferentially associated with Phaeocystis colonies, indicative of a distinct role in Phaeocystis bloom ecology. In contrast, particle-associated bacteria at 250 m depth were enriched in Colwellia and members of the Cryomorphaceae suggesting that they play important roles in the decay of Phaeocystis blooms.