ALBERT

Description: Ocean acidification and warming effects on the macroalgal species Fucus vesiculosus forma mytili were simulated in the tidal benthic mesocosm facility at the AWI Wadden Sea Station on the island of Sylt, Germany (55°01'19.2''N, 8°26'17.7''E). The SY1 experiment in spring 2014 (11 weeks from early April to late June) was based on a "Temp X pCO2" full-factorial setup (ambient or delta 5°C temperature X ambient or 1000 ppm pCO2) resulting in 4 treatment levels à 3 replicates. The seawater parameters (temperature, pH, salinity, total alkalinity, pCO2) and seawater inorganic nutrient concentrations (silicate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonium, total nitrogen oxide, nitrate) were measured on a weekly basis. The biomass growth rates (RGR) of Fucus vesiculosus forma mytili were calculated over time, and its physiological parameters (carbon, nitrogen, CN ratio, mannitol) were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment.

Description: Nitrogen fixation, the biological reduction of dinitrogen gas (N2) to ammonium (NH4+), is quantitatively the most important external source of new nitrogen (N) to the open ocean. Classically, the ecological niche of oceanic N2 fixers (diazotrophs) is ascribed to tropical oligotrophic surface waters, often depleted in fixed N, with a diazotrophic community dominated by cyanobacteria. Although this applies for large areas of the ocean, biogeochemical models and phylogenetic studies suggest that the oceanic diazotrophic niche may be much broader than previously considered, resulting in major implications for the global N-budget. Here, we report on the composition, distribution and abundance of nifH, the functional gene marker for N2 fixation. Our results show the presence of eight clades of diazotrophs in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off Peru. Although proteobacterial clades dominated overall, two clusters affiliated to spirochaeta and archaea were identified. N2 fixation was detected within OMZ waters and was stimulated by the addition of organic carbon sources supporting the view that non-phototrophic diazotrophs were actively fixing dinitrogen. The observed co-occurrence of key functional genes for N2 fixation, nitrification, anammox and denitrification suggests that a close spatial coupling of N-input and N-loss processes exists in the OMZ off Peru. The wide distribution of diazotrophs throughout the water column adds to the emerging view that the habitat of marine diazotrophs can be extended to low oxygen/high nitrate areas. Furthermore, our statistical analysis suggests that NO2- and PO43- are the major factors affecting diazotrophic distribution throughout the OMZ. In view of the predicted increase in ocean deoxygenation resulting from global warming, our findings indicate that the importance of OMZs as niches for N2 fixation may increase in the futur

Description: Microbial dinitrogen (N2) fixation, the nitrogenase enzyme-catalysed reduction of N2 gas into biologically available ammonia, is the main source of new nitrogen (N) in the ocean. For more than 50 years, oceanic N2 fixation has mainly been attributed to the activity of the colonial cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. Other smaller N2-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs)--in particular the unicellular cyanobacteria group A (UCYN-A)--are, however, abundant enough to potentially contribute significantly to N2 fixation in the surface waters of the oceans. Despite their abundance, the contribution of UCYN-A to oceanic N2 fixation has so far not been directly quantified. Here, we show that in one of the main areas of oceanic N2 fixation, the tropical North Atlantic7, the symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A contributed to N2 fixation similarly to Trichodesmium. Two types of UCYN-A, UCYN-A1 and -A2, were observed to live in symbioses with specific eukaryotic algae. Single-cell analyses showed that both algae-UCYN-A symbioses actively fixed N2, contributing ~20% to N2 fixation in the tropical North Atlantic, revealing their significance in this region. These symbioses had growth rates five to ten times higher than Trichodesmium, implying a rapid transfer of UCYN-A-fixed N into the food web that might significantly raise their actual contribution to N2 fixation. Our analysis of global 16S rRNA gene databases showed that UCYN-A occurs in surface waters from the Arctic to the Antarctic Circle and thus probably contributes to N2 fixation in a much larger oceanic area than previously thought. Based on their high rates of N2 fixation and cosmopolitan distribution, we hypothesize that UCYN-A plays a major, but currently overlooked role in the oceanic N cycle.

Description: The data is from a mesocosm experiment set up outside Lima, Peru to study the influence of upwelling of oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) water. The mesocosm bags were 2 m in diameter and extended from the surface down to 19 m depth, where the last 2 m was a conical sediment trap. Eight mesocosm bags were used and they were moored at 12.0555°S; 77.2348°W just north of Isla San Lorenzo where the water depth is ~30 m. The experiment was started 25 February 2017 by closing the mesocosm bags and were run for 50 days. Two treatments were used (water with different OMZ signature), each with four replicates. Water (100 m3) from the OMZ was collected from two locations and depths. The first was collected from 12.028323°S; 77.223603°W from 30 m depth, and the second one from 12.044333°S; 77.377583°W from 70 m depth. The original aim was to collect severe and moderate OMZ signature water (differing in e.g. nitrate concentrations) from the first and second site, respectively. This assumption was based on long-term monitoring data, however, the chemical properties (e.g. nitrate concentration) was more similar in these water masses than anticipated, rather reflecting low and very low OMZ signatures from site 1 and 2 respectively. To have a baseline of measured variables, the mesocosms where closed and environmental and biological variables were determined over 10 days. After this period, the OMZ water was added to the mesocosms in two steps on day 11 and 12 after the enclosure of the mesocosms. As the mesocosms contain a specific volume (~54 m3), the process of adding the OMZ water started with first removing water from the mesocosms. The water removed (~20 m3) was pumped out from 11-12 m depth. A similar volume of OMZ water, from both collection sites, was then pumped into four replicate mesocosms each. The OMZ water was pumped into the mesocosms moving the input hose between 14-17 m depth. The water collected at 30 m depth was pumped into mesocosms M1, M4, M5 and M8 having a low OMZ signature and water from 70 m depth into mesocosms M2, M3, M6 and M7 having a very low OMZ signature. Due a halocline at 12 m depth (see below), the added OMZ water was not immediately mixed throughout the mesocosm bag. Sampling took place every second day over a period of 50 days, and all variables were taken with an integrated water sampler (HydroBios, IWS) pre-programed to fill from 0 – 10 m depth and all samples consisted of this integrated samples from the upper 10 m. The samples were stored dark in cool boxes and brought back to the laboratory and processed right away. Sampling took place in the morning, and the samples were usually back in the laboratory around noon. Measured variables included inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic nutrients, extracellular enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and alkaline phosphatase, and the phytoplankton and bacterial community composition.

Description: The data is from a mesocosm experiment set up outside Lima, Peru to study the influence of upwelling of oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) water. The mesocosm bags were 2 m in diameter and extended from the surface down to 19 m depth, where the last 2 m was a conical sediment trap. Eight mesocosm bags were used and they were moored at 12.0555°S; 77.2348°W just north of Isla San Lorenzo where the water depth is ~30 m. The experiment was started 25 February 2017 by closing the mesocosm bags and were run for 50 days. Two treatments were used (water with different OMZ signature), each with four replicates. Water (100 m3) from the OMZ was collected from two locations and depths. The first was collected from 12.028323°S; 77.223603°W from 30 m depth, and the second one from 12.044333°S; 77.377583°W from 70 m depth. The original aim was to collect severe and moderate OMZ signature water (differing in e.g. nitrate concentrations) from the first and second site, respectively. This assumption was based on long-term monitoring data, however, the chemical properties (e.g. nitrate concentration) was more similar in these water masses than anticipated, rather reflecting low and very low OMZ signatures from site 1 and 2 respectively. To have a baseline of measured variables, the mesocosms where closed and environmental and biological variables were determined over 10 days. After this period, the OMZ water was added to the mesocosms in two steps on day 11 and 12 after the enclosure of the mesocosms. As the mesocosms contain a specific volume (~54 m3), the process of adding the OMZ water started with first removing water from the mesocosms. The water removed (~20 m3) was pumped out from 11-12 m depth. A similar volume of OMZ water, from both collection sites, was then pumped into four replicate mesocosms each. The OMZ water was pumped into the mesocosms moving the input hose between 14-17 m depth. The water collected at 30 m depth was pumped into mesocosms M1, M4, M5 and M8 having a low OMZ signature and water from 70 m depth into mesocosms M2, M3, M6 and M7 having a very low OMZ signature. Due a halocline at 12 m depth (see below), the added OMZ water was not immediately mixed throughout the mesocosm bag. Sampling took place every second day over a period of 50 days, and all variables were taken with an integrated water sampler (HydroBios, IWS) pre-programed to fill from 0 – 10 m depth and all samples consisted of this integrated samples from the upper 10 m. The samples were stored dark in cool boxes and brought back to the laboratory and processed right away. Sampling took place in the morning, and the samples were usually back in the laboratory around noon. Measured variables included inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic nutrients, extracellular enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), and the phytoplankton and bacterial community composition.