ALBERT

Description: The distribution of ultraphytoplankton was investigated in the western North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) during La Niña, a cold phase of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Observations were conducted along a 141.5° E transect (33.6° N–13.25° N) in order to study the ultraplankton assemblages in various oligotrophic conditions. Analyses were performed at the single cell level by analytical flow cytometry. Five ultraphytoplankton groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes, nanoeukaryotes and nanocyanobacteria) defined by their optical properties were enumerated in three different areas visited during the cruise: the Kuroshio region, the subtropical Pacific gyre and a transition zone between the subtropical Pacific gyre and the Warm pool. Prochlorococcus outnumbered the other photoautotrophs in all the investigated areas. However in terms of carbon biomass, an increase in the relative contribution of Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and nanoeukaryotes was observed from the centre of the subtropical gyre to the Kuroshio area. In the Kuroshio region, a peak of abundance of nanoeukaryotes observed at the surface suggested an increase in nutrients likely due to the vicinity of a cold cyclonic eddy. In contrast, in the salinity front (35) and anticyclonic eddy located around 22.83° N, the mainly constant distribution of Prochlorococcus from the surface down to 150 m characterized the dominance by these microorganisms in high salinity and temperature zone. Results suggested that distribution of nanocyanobacteria is also closely linked to the salinity front rather than low phosphate concentration. The maximum abundance of ultraphytoplankton was located above (〉 100 m) the SubTropical Counter Current (STCC) where higher nutrient concentrations were measured. Finally, comparison of the ultraphytoplankton concentrations during El Niño (from the literature) and La Niña (this study) conditions seems to demonstrate that La Niña conditions lead to higher concentrations of Synechococcus in the Subtropical gyre and a lower abundance of Synechococcus in the Kuroshio region. Our results suggest that the west part of NPSG is a complex area, where different water masses, salinity fronts and eddies lead to an heterogeneous distribution of ultraphytoplankton assemblages in the upper layer of the water column.

Description: The spatial distribution of heterotrophic prokaryotes was investigated during the Tokyo–Palau cruise in the western part of the North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG) along a north–south transect between 33.60 and 13.25° N. The cruise was conducted in three different hydrological areas identified as the Kuroshio region, the Subtropical gyre area and the Transition zone. Two eddies were crossed along the transect: one cold core cyclonic eddy and one warm core anticyclonic eddy and distributions of the heterotrophic prokaryotes were recorded. By using analytical flow cytometry and a nucleic acid staining protocol, heterotrophic prokaryotes were discriminated into three subgroups depending on their nucleic acid content (low, high and very high nucleic acid contents labeled LNA, HNA and VHNA, respectively). Statistical analyses performed on the dataset showed that LNA, mainly associated with temperature and salinity, were dominant in all the hydrological regions. In contrast, HNA distribution seemed to be associated with temperature, salinity, Chl a and silicic acid. A latitudinal increase in the HNA / LNA ratio was observed along the north–south transect and was related to higher phosphate and nitrate concentrations. In the Kuroshio Current, it is suggested that the high concentration of heterotrophic prokaryotes observed at station 4 was linked to the path of the cold cyclonic eddy core. In contrast, it is thought that low concentrations of heterotrophic prokaryotes in the warm core of the anticyclonic gyre (Sta. 9) are related to the low nutrient concentrations measured in the seawater column. Our results showed that the high variability between the various heterotrophic prokaryote cluster abundances depend both on the mesoscale structures and the oligotrophic gradient.

Description: The spatial distribution of heterotrophic prokaryotes was investigated during the Tokyo–Palau cruise in the western part of the North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG) along a north–south transect between 33.60 and 13.25° N. The cruise was conducted in three different hydrological areas identified as the Kuroshio region, the subtropical gyre area and the transition zone. Two eddies were crossed along the transect: one cold-core cyclonic eddy and one warm-core anticyclonic eddy and distributions of the heterotrophic prokaryotes were recorded. By using analytical flow cytometry and a nucleic acid staining protocol, heterotrophic prokaryotes were discriminated into three subgroups depending on their nucleic acid content (low, high and very high nucleic acid contents labelled LNA, HNA and VHNA, respectively). Statistical analyses performed on the data set showed that LNA, mainly associated with low temperature and low salinity, were dominant in all the hydrological regions. In contrast, HNA distribution seemed to be associated with temperature, salinity, Chl a and silicic acid. A latitudinal increase in the HNA / LNA ratio was observed along the north–south transect and was related to higher phosphate and nitrate concentrations. However, the opposite relationship observed for the VHNA / HNA ratio suggested that the link between nucleic acid content and oligotrophic conditions is not linear, underlying the complexity of the biodiversity in the VHNA, HNA and LNA subgroups. In the Kuroshio Current, it is suggested that the high concentration of heterotrophic prokaryotes observed at station 4 was linked to the path of the cold cyclonic eddy core. In contrast, it is thought that low concentrations of heterotrophic prokaryotes in the warm core of the anticyclonic gyre (Sta. 9) are related to the low nutrient concentrations measured in the seawater column. Our results showed that the high variability between the various heterotrophic prokaryote cluster abundances depend both on the mesoscale structures and the oligotrophic gradient.

Description: The distribution of ultraphytoplankton was investigated in the western North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) during La Niña, a cold phase of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Observations were conducted in a north-south transect (33.6–13.25° N) along the 141.5° E meridian in order to study the ultraplankton assemblages in various oligotrophic conditions. Analyses were performed at the single cell level by analytical flow cytometry. Five ultraphytoplankton groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes, nanoeukaryotes and nanocyanobacteria-like) defined by their optical properties were enumerated in three different areas visited during the cruise: the Kuroshio region, the subtropical Pacific gyre and a transition zone between the subtropical Pacific gyre and the Warm pool. Prochlorococcus outnumbered the other photoautotrophs in all the investigated areas. However, in terms of carbon biomass, an increase in the relative contribution of Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and nanoeukaryotes was observed from the centre of the subtropical gyre to the Kuroshio area. In the Kuroshio region, a peak of abundance of nanoeukaryotes observed at the surface suggested an increase in nutrients likely due to the vicinity of a cold cyclonic eddy. In contrast, in the salinity front along the isohaline 35 and anticyclonic eddy located around 22.83° N, the mainly constant distribution of Prochlorococcus from the surface down to 150 m characterised the dominance by these microorganisms in high salinity and temperature zone. Results suggested that the distribution of nanocyanobacteria-like is also closely linked to the salinity front rather than low phosphate concentration. The maximum abundance of ultraphytoplankton was located above the SubTropical Counter Current (STCC) at depths 〉 100 m where higher nutrient concentrations were measured. Finally, comparison of the ultraphytoplankton concentrations during El Niño (from the literature) and La Niña (this study) conditions seems to demonstrate that La Niña conditions lead to higher concentrations of Synechococcus in the Subtropical gyre and a lower abundance of Synechococcus in the Kuroshio region. Our results suggest that the west part of NPSG is a complex area, where different water masses, salinity fronts and eddies lead to a heterogeneous distribution of ultraphytoplankton assemblages in the upper layer of the water column.