Benedetto Barone

Coordinated regulation of growth, activity and transcription in natural populations of the unicellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera

The temporal dynamics of phytoplankton growth and activity have large impacts on fluxes of matter and energy, yet obtaining in situ metabolic measurements of sufficient resolution for even dominant microorganisms remains a considerable challenge. We performed Lagrangian diel sampling with synoptic measurements of population abundances, dinitrogen (N2) fixation, mortality, productivity, export and transcription in a bloom of Crocosphaera over eight days in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). Quantitative transcriptomic analyses revealed clear diel oscillations in transcript abundances for 34% of Crocosphaera genes identified, reflecting a systematic progression of gene expression in diverse metabolic pathways. Significant time-lagged correspondence was evident between nifH transcript abundance and maximal N2 fixation, as well as sepF transcript abundance and cell division, demonstrating the utility of transcriptomics to predict the occurrence and timing of physiological and biogeochemical processes in natural populations. Indirect estimates of carbon fixation by Crocosphaera were equivalent to 11% of net community production, suggesting that under bloom conditions this diazotroph has a considerable impact on the wider carbon cycle. Our cross-scale synthesis of molecular, population and community-wide data underscores the tightly coordinated in situ metabolism of the keystone N2-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera, as well as the broader ecosystem-wide implications of its activities.

Short-term variability in euphotic zone biogeochemistry and primary productivity at Station ALOHA: A case study of summer 2012

Time-series observations are critical to understand the structure, function, and dynamics of marine ecosystems. The Hawaii Ocean Time-series program has maintained near-monthly sampling at Station ...

Particle distributions and dynamics in the euphotic zone of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

During the summer of 2012, we used laser diffractometry to investigate the temporal and vertical variability of the particle size spectrum (1.25–100 µm in equivalent diameter) in the euphotic zone of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Particles measured with this optical method accounted for ∼40% of the particulate carbon stocks (<202 µm) in the upper euphotic zone (25–75 m), as estimated using an empirical formula to transform particle volume to carbon concentrations. Over the entire vertical layer considered (20–180 m), the largest contribution to particle volume corresponded to particles between 3 and 10 µm in diameter. Although the exponent of a power law parameterization suggested that larger particles had a lower relative abundance than in other regions of the global ocean, this parameter and hence conclusions about relative particle abundance are sensitive to the shape of the size distribution and to the curve fitting method. Results on the vertical distribution of particles indicate that different size fractions varied independently with depth. Particles between 1.25 and 2 µm reached maximal abundances coincident with the depth of the chlorophyll a maximum (averaging 121 ± 10 m), where eukaryotic phytoplankton abundances increased. In contrast, particles between 2 and 20 µm tended to accumulate just below the base of the mixed layer (41 ± 14 m). Variability in particle size tracked changes in the abundance of specific photoautotrophic organisms (measured with flow cytometry and pigment concentration), suggesting that phytoplankton population dynamics are an important control of the spatiotemporal variability in particle concentration in this ecosystem.

Phenology of particle size distributions and primary productivity in the North Pacific subtropical gyre (Station ALOHA)

Abstract The particle size distribution (PSD) is a critical aspect of the oceanic ecosystem. Local variability in the PSD can be indicative of shifts in microbial community structure and reveal patterns in cell growth and loss. The PSD also plays a central role in particle export by influencing settling speed. Satellite‐based models of primary productivity (PP) often rely on aspects of photophysiology that are directly related to community size structure. In an effort to better understand how variability in particle size relates to PP in an oligotrophic ecosystem, we collected laser diffraction‐based depth profiles of the PSD and pigment‐based classifications of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) on an approximately monthly basis at the Hawaii Ocean Time‐series Station ALOHA, in the North Pacific subtropical gyre. We found a relatively stable PSD in the upper water column. However, clear seasonality is apparent in the vertical distribution of distinct particle size classes. Neither laser diffraction‐based estimations of relative particle size nor pigment‐based PFTs was found to be significantly related to the rate of 14C‐based PP in the light‐saturated upper euphotic zone. This finding indicates that satellite retrievals of particle size, based on particle scattering or ocean color would not improve parameterizations of present‐day bio‐optical PP models for this region. However, at depths of 100–125 m where irradiance exerts strong control on PP, we do observe a significant linear relationship between PP and the estimated carbon content of 2–20 μm particles.

Productivity diagnosed from the diel cycle of particulate carbon in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

The rate of primary production (PP) in the ocean is a critical ecosystem function that contributes to the regulation of air-sea CO2 exchange. Historically, oceanographers have relied primarily on in vitro measurements of 14C uptake (14C-PP) as a proxy for PP. Yet it can be difficult to reconcile PP rates measured in vitro with in situ rates such as those based on oxygen. Here we present diel cycles of optically derived particulate organic carbon (POC) measured in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. We have calculated gross production (OPTGP) from the daytime increase and nighttime decrease of optically derived POC, assuming that the observed change in POC represents the sum of PP and community losses. We have compared these estimates to parallel 14C-PP incubations and considered sources of difference. We find that OPTGP is strongly related to 14C-PP in this region and that growth and loss rates of POC are tightly coupled.