Search results for "MAR"

Phytoplankton in Lake Tanganyika — vertical and horizontal distribution of in vivo fluorescence

1999

Determinations of chlorophyll a and in vivo fluorescence of photosynthetic pigments were used to study vertical and horizontal distribution of phytoplankton in Lake Tanganyika (East Africa). Blue excited fluorescence (IVFb) was an approximate predictor of chlorophyll a at different depths and locations. Green excited fluorescence (IVFg), which reflects phycoerythrin in cyanobacteria, explained chlorophyll a variation equally well, and in combination with IVFb the degree of explanation was improved to 87% (n = 90). Particularly during the shallow stratification in March–May, the maxima of chlorophyll a, IVFb and IVFg were located within the thermocline. Such distribution may have resulted fr…

Role of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in crustacean zooplankton diet in a eutrophic lake

2019

The coexistence of potentially toxic bloom-forming cyanobacteria (CY) and generally smaller-sized grazer communities has raised the question of zooplankton (ZP) ability to control harmful cyanobacterial blooms and highlighted the need for species-specific research on ZP-CY trophic interactions in naturally occurring communities. A combination of HPLC, molecular and stable isotope analyses was used to assess in situ the importance of CY as a food source for dominant crustacean ZP species and to quantify the grazing on potentially toxic strains of Microcystis during bloom formation in large eutrophic Lake Peipsi (Estonia). Aphanizomenon, Dolichospermum, Gloeotrichia and Microcystis dominated …

2020

Phytoplankton synthesizes essential ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for consumers in the aquatic food webs. Only certain phytoplankton taxa can synthesize eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω3), whereas all phytoplankton taxa can synthesize shorter-chain ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA. Here, we experimentally studied how the proportion, concentration (per DW and cell-specific), and production (µg FA L−1 day−1) of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA varied among six different phytoplankton main groups (16 freshwater strains) and between exponential and stationary growth phase. EPA and DHA concentrations, as dry weight, were similar among cryptophytes and diatoms. However, Crypto…

The Importance of Phytoplankton Biomolecule Availability for Secondary Production

2017

The growth and reproduction of animals is affected by their access to resources. In aquatic ecosystems, the availability of essential biomolecules for filter-feeding zooplankton depends greatly on phytoplankton. Here, we analyzed the biochemical composition, i.e., the fatty acid, sterol and amino acid profiles and concentrations as well as protein, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus content of 17 phytoplankton monocultures representing the seven most abundant phytoplankton classes in boreal and sub-arctic lakes. To examine how the differences in the biochemical composition between phytoplankton classes affect their nutritional quality for consumers, we assessed the performance of Daphnia, on …

Ocean Acidification and the Loss of Phenolic Substances in Marine Plants

2012

Rising atmospheric CO(2) often triggers the production of plant phenolics, including many that serve as herbivore deterrents, digestion reducers, antimicrobials, or ultraviolet sunscreens. Such responses are predicted by popular models of plant defense, especially resource availability models which link carbon availability to phenolic biosynthesis. CO(2) availability is also increasing in the oceans, where anthropogenic emissions cause ocean acidification, decreasing seawater pH and shifting the carbonate system towards further CO(2) enrichment. Such conditions tend to increase seagrass productivity but may also increase rates of grazing on these marine plants. Here we show that high CO(2) …

Effects of temperature on total phenolic compounds in Cystoseira amentacea (C. Agardh) Bory (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) from southern Mediterranean Sea

2015

The aim of this study was to test the effects of temperature on phenolic content of the brown seaweed Cystoseira amentacea. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites involved in different protection mechanisms as, for example, against grazers, epiphytes and UV radiation. Seasonal variations of phenolic content in C. amentacea were analysed and laboratory experiments, in which C. amentacea was exposed to an increase of temperature (25°C and 30°C), were performed. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined colorimetrically with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. In C. amentacea, a seasonal pattern in TPC was observed, with a maximum value in winter-spring. C. amentacea responded significantly t…

Quorum Sensing and Density-Dependent Dispersal in an Aquatic Model System

2012

International audience; Many organisms use cues to decide whether to disperse or not, especially those related to the composition of their environment. Dispersal hence sometimes depends on population density, which can be important for the dynamics and evolution of subdivided populations. But very little is known about the factors that organisms use to inform their dispersal decision. We investigated the cues underlying density-dependent dispersal in interconnected microcosms of the freshwater protozoan Paramecium caudatum. In two experiments, we manipulated (i) the number of cells per microcosm and (ii) the origin of their culture medium (supernatant from high-or low-density populations). …

From clear lakes to murky waters – tracing the functional response of high-latitude lake communities to concurrent ‘greening’ and ‘browning’

2019

Climate change and the intensification of land use practices are causing widespread eutrophication of subarctic lakes. The implications of this rapid change for lake ecosystem function remain poorly understood. To assess how freshwater communities respond to such profound changes in their habitat and resource availability, we conducted a space-for-time analysis of food-web structure in 30 lakes situated across a temperature-productivity gradient equivalent to the predicted future climate of subarctic Europe (temperature +3 degrees C, precipitation +30% and nutrient +45 mu g L-1 total phosphorus). Along this gradient, we observed an increase in the assimilation of pelagic-derived carbon from…

Protist predation can select for bacteria with lowered susceptibility to infection by lytic phages

2015

Background: Consumer-resource interactions constitute one of the most common types of interspecific antagonistic interaction. In natural communities, complex species interactions are likely to affect the outcomes of reciprocal co-evolution between consumers and their resource species. Individuals face multiple enemies simultaneously, and consequently they need to adapt to several different types of enemy pressures. In this study, we assessed how protist predation affects the susceptibility of bacterial populations to infection by viral parasites, and whether there is an associated cost of defence on the competitive ability of the bacteria. As a study system we used Serratia marcescens and i…

Revision of the west african species of scyllarus fabricius, 1775 (Decapoda: Achelata: Scyllaridae), with the description of three phyllosoma stages …

2020

West African species of Scyllarus Fabricius, 1775 (Achelata, Scyllaridae) are poorly known, mostly due to the difficulties of sampling Eastern Atlantic tropical waters. Recent expeditions carried out by the Universidad de Cádiz and the Instituto Español de Oceanografía collected phyllosoma larvae from Cape Verde Islands (CVI) and fresh Scyllarus adults from continental West Africa. Larval stages VII, IX, and X (final stage) of S. caparti Holthuis, 1952 are analyzed using DNA barcoding methods and described for the first time. A comprehensive identification key is provided, summarizing our current knowledge on the phyllosomas of Scyllarus. Together with a revision of museum collections, the …