Seawater physics and chemistry along the Med-SHIP transects in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016

The Mediterranean Sea has been sampled irregularly by research vessels in the past, mostly by national expeditions in regional waters. To monitor the hydrographic, biogeochemical and circulation changes in the Mediterranean Sea, a systematic repeat oceanographic survey programme called Med-SHIP was recommended by the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM) in 2011, as part of the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). Med-SHIP consists of zonal and meridional surveys with different frequencies, where comprehensive physical and biogeochemical properties are measured with the highest international standards. The first zonal survey was done in 2011 and repeated in 2018. In addition, a network of meridional (and other key) hydrographic sections were designed: the first cycle of these sections was completed in 2016, with three cruises funded by the EU project EUROFLEETS2. This paper presents the physical and chemical data of the meridional and key transects in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean Sea collected during those cruises.

Depth-driven patterns in lytic viral diversity, auxiliary metabolic gene content, and productivity in offshore oligotrophic waters

Introduction

Marine viruses regulate microbial population dynamics and biogeochemical cycling in the oceans. The ability of viruses to manipulate hosts' metabolism through the expression of viral auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) was recently highlighted, having important implications in energy production and flow in various aquatic environments. Up to now, the presence and diversity of viral AMGs is studied using -omics data, and rarely using quantitative measures of viral activity alongside.

Methods

In the present study, four depth layers (5, 50, 75, and 1,000 m) with discrete hydrographic features were sampled in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; we studied lytic viral community composition and AMG content through metagenomics, and lytic production rates through the viral reduction approach in the ultra-oligotrophic Levantine basin where knowledge regarding viral actions is rather limited.

Results and Discussion

Our results demonstrate depth-dependent patterns in viral diversity and AMG content, related to differences in temperature, nutrients availability, and host bacterial productivity and abundance. Although lytic viral production rates were similar along the water column, the virus-to-bacteria ratio was higher and the particular set of AMGs was more diverse in the bathypelagic (1,000 m) than the shallow epipelagic (5, 50, and 75 m) layers, revealing that the quantitative effect of viruses on their hosts may be the same along the water column through the intervention of different AMGs. In the resource- and energy-limited bathypelagic waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, the detected AMGs could divert hosts' metabolism toward energy production, through a boost in gluconeogenesis, fatty-acid and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and sulfur relay. Near the deep-chlorophyll maximum depth, an exceptionally high percentage of AMGs related to photosynthesis was noticed. Taken together our findings suggest that the roles of viruses in the deep sea might be even more important than previously thought as they seem to orchestrate energy acquisition and microbial community dynamics, and thus, biogeochemical turnover in the oceans.

Identification of Marine Biotechnology Value Chains with High Potential in the Northern Mediterranean Region

Marine (blue) biotechnology is an emerging field enabling the valorization of new products and processes with massive potential for innovation and economic growth. In the Mediterranean region, this innovation potential is not exploited as well as in other European regions due to a lack of a clear identification of the different value chains and the high fragmentation of business innovation initiatives. As a result, several opportunities to create an innovative society are being missed. To address this problem, eight Northern Mediterranean countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) established five national blue biotechnology hubs to identify and address the bottlenecks that prevent the development of marine biotechnology in the region. Following a three-step approach (1. Analysis: setting the scene; 2. Transfer: identification of promising value chains; 3. Capitalization: community creation), we identified the three value chains that are most promising for the Northern Mediterranean region: algae production for added-value compounds, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and valorization aquaculture/fisheries/processing by-products, unavoidable/unwanted catches and discards. The potential for the development and the technical and non-technical skills that are necessary to advance in this exciting field were identified through several stakeholder events which provided valuable insight and feedback that should be addressed for marine biotechnology in the Northern Mediterranean region to reach its full potential.

Sympatric occurrence of two Azadinium poporum ribotypes in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

The marine dinoflagellate Azadinium poporum produce azaspiracids (AZA) and has been recorded widely in the world. However, information on its biogeography is still limited, especially in view of the fact that A. poporum comprises several genetically differentiated groups. A total of 18 strains of A. poporum were obtained from the Eastern Mediterranean area by incubating surface sediment collected from Ionian Sea of Greece. The morphology of these strains was examined with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA), large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were obtained from all cultured strains. Molecular phylogeny based on concatenated SSU, LSU and ITS sequences confirmed three ribotypes within A. poporum and revealed two subclades within ribotypes A and C. Greek strains of A. poporum ribotype A were nested within ribotype A2 together with strains from Western Mediterranean Sea and French Atlantic, and Greek strains of A. poporum ribotype C were nested within ribotype C2 together with a strain from the Gulf of Mexico. Growth experiments on four selected strains revealed that ribotypes A and C from Greece differed in their growth at higher temperatures, indicating that they are physiologically differentiated. Azaspiracid profiles were analyzed for 15 cultured A. poporum strains using LCMS/MS and demonstrate that the A. poporum ribotype A from Greece produce low level or no AZA and A. poporum ribotype C from Greece produces predominantly AZA-40 (9.6-30.2 fg cell^-1) followed by AZA-2 (2.1-2.6 fg cell^-1). The first record of AZA-40 producing A. poporum from the Mediterranean suggests that this species is a potential source for azaspiracid contaminations in shellfish from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

A MSFD complementary approach for the assessment of pressures, knowledge and data gaps in Southern European Seas: The PERSEUS experience

PERSEUS project aims to identify the most relevant pressures exerted on the ecosystems of the Southern European Seas (SES), highlighting knowledge and data gaps that endanger the achievement of SES Good Environmental Status (GES) as mandated by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). A complementary approach has been adopted, by a meta-analysis of existing literature on pressure/impact/knowledge gaps summarized in tables related to the MSFD descriptors, discriminating open waters from coastal areas. A comparative assessment of the Initial Assessments (IAs) for five SES countries has been also independently performed. The comparison between meta-analysis results and IAs shows similarities for coastal areas only. Major knowledge gaps have been detected for the biodiversity, marine food web, marine litter and underwater noise descriptors. The meta-analysis also allowed the identification of additional research themes targeting research topics that are requested to the achievement of GES.

Estimating the accumulation and transfer of Nodularia spumigena toxins by the blue mussel Mytilus edulis: An appraisal from culture and mesocosm experiments

Accumulation of Nodularia spumigena toxins by Mytilus edulis was studied during laboratory and mesocosm experiments in order to investigate the possible pathways of nodularin in mussels and calculate toxin budgets. Mussels were exposed to 0.2-15.6 microg nodularin l(-1), fed for up to 5 days with Nodularia cells from culture, or blooming in different nutrient-treated seawater. Toxin concentration was monitored with LC-ESI-MS. During different exposures, the amount of nodularin detected in mussels increased linearly with increasing toxin concentration in food and attained 0.28-13.8 microg of nodularin g dw(-1) of the mussel whole body tissue after 12 h. The digestive gland was found to be the tissue with the highest toxin concentration. Nodularin concentration in faeces was not proportional to faeces production or to toxin concentration in food; however, it seemed to be mostly related to food quality as well as to food availability. The percentage of nodularin taken up by the mussels, relative to the amount contained in the offered food, varied from 10% to 20%, depending on food quality. During a 5-day toxin accumulation experiment, the acute reduction of the toxin in mussel tissues the second day and the following stabilization, showed that probably mussels maintain low toxin levels via efficient elimination and/or toxin metabolism. After a 72 h depuration period, mussels showed 75% reduction in their toxin content.

Dynamic characteristics of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus consumption by bacterivorous nanoflagellates

We compared the characteristics of ingestion of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus by the marine heterotrophic nanoflagellate Pseudobodo sp. and by a mixed nanoflagellate culture (around 3 microm in size) obtained from an open sea oligotrophic area. Maximum ingestion rate on Synechococcus (2.7 Syn flagellate(-1) h(-1)) was reached at concentrations of 5 x 10(5) Syn mL(-1) and decreased between 6 x 10(5) and 1.5 x 10(6) Syn mL(-1). In order to validate laboratory data, one set of data on Synechococcus grazing was obtained during a field study in the oligotrophic northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Ingestion rates by heterotrophic nanoflagellates were related to Synechococcus abundance in the water, and the feeding rate showed a clear diel rhythm with consumption being highest during the night, declining during the day hours, and being lowest at dusk. Ingestion rates on Prochlorococcus increased linearly for the whole range of prey density used (i.e., from 1 x 10(3) to 3 x 10(6) Proc mL(-1)), with maximum ingestion of 6.7 Proc flagellate(-1) h(-1). However, for prey concentrations in the range of 10(3)-10(5), which are usually encountered in aquatic systems, ingestion rates were significantly less than on Synechococcus. In our experiments, both Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus proved to be poor food items for support of nanoflagellate growth.

Longitudinal and vertical trends of bacterial limitation by phosphorus and carbon in the Mediterranean Sea

The effect of phosphate (P), nitrate (N), and organic carbon (C, glucose) enrichment on heterotrophic bacterial production was examined along two longitudinal transects covering the whole Mediterranean Sea during June and September 1999. During these cruises, integrated bacterial production ranged from 11 to 349 mgC m(-2) d(-1) for the 0-150 m layer. P was found to stimulate bacterial production (BP) in 13 out of 18 experiments, in the eastern and in the western Mediterranean Sea. Organic carbon stimulation of bacterial production was observed at two stations in the Alboran Sea, where the highest bacterial production was recorded (216 and 349 mg C m(-2) d(-1)) and in the Sicily Strait. Maximum rates of alkaline phosphatase (AP) increased from the Alboran to the Levantine Sea whereas AP turnover time decreased. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase activity was not systematically reduced following additions of P. In cases of P limitation, however, the alkaline phosphatase activity to bacterial production ratio was severely reduced in the P and NPC enrichments. Generally, the addition of the limiting factor--whether P or C--had a synchronous stimulating effect on bacterial production and ectoaminopeptidase activity and induced a decline in the amino acid respiration percentage. At two selected stations in the eastern and northwestern Mediterranean, response to enrichment was tested on vertical profiles. Bacteria shifted from P to C limitation at a depth where soluble reactive phosphorus was still undetectable, but corresponding to a strong increase in alkaline phosphatase turnover time. Our results showed that values of AP turnover time lower than 100 h corresponded to situations of P limitation of bacterial production.