Anomalously high abundance of Crocosphaera in the South Pacific Gyre

Type Article
Date 2022-04
Language English
Author(s) Benavides MarORCID1, Caffin Mathieu1, Duhamel Solange2, Foster Rachel Ann3, Grosso Olivier1, Guieu Cécile4, 5, Van Wambeke France1, Bonnet Sophie1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
2 : Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
3 : Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
4 : Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSU-CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
5 : Center for Prototype Climate Modeling, New York University Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Source Fems Microbiology Letters (0378-1097) (Oxford University Press (OUP)), 2022-04 , Vol. 369 , N. 1 , P. fnac039 (7p.)
DOI 10.1093/femsle/fnac039
WOS© Times Cited 4
Keyword(s) Crocosphaera, oligotrophic, diazotrophs, cyanobacteria
Abstract

The unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium Crocosphaera contributes significantly to fixed nitrogen inputs in the oligotrophic ocean. In the western tropical South Pacific Ocean (WTSP), these diazotrophs abound thanks to the phosphorus-rich waters provided by the South Equatorial Current, and iron provided aeolian and subsurface volcanic activity. East of the WTSP, the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) harbors the most oligotrophic and transparent waters of the world's oceans, where only heterotrophic diazotrophs have been reported before. Here in the SPG we detected unexpected accumulation of Crocosphaera at 50 m with peak abundances of 5.26×105nifH gene copies L–1. The abundance of Crocosphaera at 50 m was in the same order of magnitude as those detected westwards in the WTSP and represented 100% of volumetric N2 fixation rates. This accumulation at 50 m was likely due to a deeper penetration of UV light in the clear waters of the SPG being detrimental for Crocosphaera growth and N2 fixation activity. Nutrient and trace metal addition experiments did not induce any significant changes in N2 fixation or Crocosphaera abundance, indicating that this population was not limited by the resources tested and could develop in high numbers despite the oligotrophic conditions. Our findings indicate that the distribution of Crocosphaera can extend into subtropical gyres and further understanding of their controlling factors is needed.

Full Text
File Pages Size Access
Author's final draft 18 698 KB Open access
3 MB Access on demand
7 1 MB Access on demand
Top of the page

How to cite 

Benavides Mar, Caffin Mathieu, Duhamel Solange, Foster Rachel Ann, Grosso Olivier, Guieu Cécile, Van Wambeke France, Bonnet Sophie (2022). Anomalously high abundance of Crocosphaera in the South Pacific Gyre. Fems Microbiology Letters, 369(1), fnac039 (7p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnac039 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00765/87716/