May Gómez

Zooplankton biomass and indices of feeding and metabolism in island-generated eddies around Gran Canaria

Abstract Zooplankton biomass and indices of grazing (gut fluorescence), respiration (electron transfer system, ETS), ammonia excretion (glutamate dehydrogenase, GDH) and growth (aspartate transcarbamylase, ATC) were studied around the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) during the so-called “late winter bloom”. Four size classes (100–200, 200–500, 500–1000 and >1000 μm) were studied to assess the contribution of each size fraction to the mesoscale plankton distribution around the island. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were observed downstream the island transporting and entraining water rich in chlorophyll. Zooplankton biomass showed a high variability around the island but it was dramatically lower in the core of the cyclonic eddy induced by the island, probably due to the divergent effect produced by the physical structure. A filament of relatively cold-water was also found reaching the island from the upwelling area off northwest Africa. High zooplankton biomass was observed in association with the filament water and in the vicinity of the anticyclonic eddy shed by the island. Specific gut content showed higher values in the boundaries of the cyclonic structures, while ETS and GDH activities where higher windward of the island, in both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies depending on the size fraction considered. With the restrictions of using those indices, control of primary production by grazing was 11–22% and up to 41% of the calculated ingestion from the indices of metabolism and growth could be supported by nonpigmented food. Calculated excretion rates could support about 8% of primary production. The low impact of zooplankton on autotrophic production, the low values of the index of growth and the distribution of biomass in relation to the presence of eddies downstream of Gran Canaria suggest that accumulation was the causative mechanism for the presence of high zooplankton biomass leeward of the island.

Zooplankton biomass and indices of feeding and metabolism in relation to an upwelling filament off northwest Africa

Zooplankton biomass and indices of grazing (gut e uorescence), respiration (electron transfer system activity, ETS) and growth (aspartate transcarbamylase, ATC) were studied in relation to an upwelling e lament off northwest Africa during August 1993. The e lament extended 150 km offshore into the oligotrophic waters. It was generated by a trapped, quasi-permanent cyclonic eddy located between the Canary Islands and the African shelf. High biomass, specie c gut e uorescence and electron transfer system activity in zooplankton were observed along the e lament structure. In contrast, low values of biomass, gut e uorescence, ETS and ATC specie c activities were found in the center of the trapped cyclonic eddy. Assuming a 50% of pigment destruction, the calculated grazing impact of zooplankton on primary production varied between 16 and 97%, a high range compared to other oceanic systems. Ingestion, estimated from indices of metabolism and growth, accounted for 47- 296% of the primary production (assuming an herbivorous feeding). Mesozooplankton trans- ported offshore into the oligotrophic area fule lled their metabolic demands with nonpigmented food as observed from the increase of omnivory from the coastal waters to the open ocean. The progressive decay of grazing and metabolic indices along the e lament suggests that advection, rather than local enrichment processes, is mostly responsible for the high biomass values in this physical structure.

Modification of the electron transport system (ETS) method for routine measurements of respiratory rates of zooplankton

Respiratory Electron Transport System activity (ETS) was determined in cell-free homogenates of mesozooplankton samples. Several assays were run to investigate possible improvements to the ETS method and to reduce sample processing time. The results showed that: (i) liquid nitrogen is a suitable method for preserving ETS activity for up to at least two months; (ii) the processed sample can be stored for up to 90 minutes in an ice-water bath without loss of activity; (iii) a glass-fibre filter, normally used in phytoplankton assays, is not necessary to achieve efficient enzyme extraction; (iv) centrifugation can be done prior to the assay without any significant loss in activity; and (v) the partitioned enzyme activities were different from the overall ETS activity, with NADH- dehydrogenase activity playing the major role (71 %) and succinate dehydrogenase the minor (<5%). The overall precision of the methods was about 10%, and automation of the method is suggested as a means of standardizing the precision...

Biomass and metabolism of zooplankton in the Bransfield Strait (Antarctic Peninsula) during austral spring

Abstract Zooplankton biomass (as dry weight), respiration and ammonia excretion were studied in three different size classes (200–500, 500–1000 and >1000 μm) in the Bransfield Strait during December 1991. Average mesozooplankton biomass was 86.45 ± 56.74 mg · dry weight · m−2, which is in the lower range of the values cited in the literature for polar waters. Higher biomass was observed in the Weddell water. The small size fraction accounted for about 50% of total biomass while the largest one represented 35%. Rather high metabolic rates were found, irrespective of whether the organisms were incubated in the presence of food. No significant differences were observed in mass specific respiration and ammonia excretion rates between different temperatures of incubation (0.2–2.3°C) and between the size classes studied. Because of the very low biomass values observed, the metabolic requirements of mesozooplankton during December represented a small fraction of the primary production.

Large-Scale and Mesoscale Distribution of Plankton Biomass and Metabolic Activity in the Northeastern Central Atlantic

Plankton biomass and indices of metabolism and growth [electron transport system (ETS), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and aspartate transcarbamylase (ATC) activities] were studied over a 2,800 km east-west section of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean (21°N) in <200, 200–500 and >;500 µm size classes. On the large-scale, zooplankton (>;200 µm) enzymatic activities increased westward in the study section, where large cyanobacteria chains (Trichodesmium spp.) were observed. Parallel to it, an increase in medium calanoids (1–2 mm length) was observed towards the western part of the transect, whereas small calanoids (<1 mm) were dominant throughout the boundary area of the subtropical gyre. Microplankton ETS and mesoplankton ETS and ATC activities seemed to match the wave length of low frequency waves. Our results suggest that such waves are related to the observed enhancement of metabolic activity of micro- and mesoplankton. The large-scale and mesoscale variability observed give evidence of the inadequacy of assuming a steady-state picture of the euphotic zone of tropical and subtropical waters.

Biomass and potential feeding, respiration and growth of zooplankton in the Bransfield Strait (Antarctic Peninsula) during austral summer

Abstract Biomass (as dry weight and protein content), gut fluorescence, electron transfer system (ETS) and aspartate transcarbamylase (ATC) activities were studied in different size fractions (200–500, 500–1000 μm and 1–14 mm) in the Bransfield Strait (Antarctic Peninsula) during January 1993. Very low values of zooplankton biomass were observed in all the size classes studied. About 56% of total biomass was due to the large size fraction (1–14 mm) while the smallest one (200–500 μm) accounted for about 26%. Gut fluorescence values increased in relation to the size class considered, as expected, being the differences from the smaller to the highest size fractions of orders of magnitude. Calculated ingestion rates showed that about 60–80% of total zooplankton ingestion (<14 mm) was due to the smaller organisms. Higher average values and higher variability of specific ETS activity was observed in the smaller size fraction while no differences between size classes were observed for the specific ATC activity. Biomass, gut fluorescence, ETS and ATC activities were not significantly different between the Bellingshausen and Weddell waters, although higher standard deviation was normally found at the former area. With the restrictions of using the above indices to estimate physiological rates, potential grazing of mesozooplankton (<14 mm) accounted for a rather low portion (<10%) of the primary production. The index of growth showed high values, suggesting no food limitation of mesozooplankton. Therefore, other processes such as predation should account for the very low biomass found and for the fate of a large portion of primary production.

Influence of Ocean Acidification and Deep Water Upwelling on Oligotrophic Plankton Communities in the Subtropical North Atlantic: Insights from an In situ Mesocosm Study

Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) causes pronounced shifts in marine carbonate chemistry and a decrease in seawater pH. Increasing evidence indicates that these changes—summarized by the term ocean acidification (OA)—can significantly affect marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles. However, current scientific knowledge is largely based on laboratory experiments with single species and artificial boundary conditions, whereas studies of natural plankton communities are still relatively rare. Moreover, the few existing community-level studies were mostly conducted in rather eutrophic environments, while less attention has been paid to oligotrophic systems such as the subtropical ocean gyres. Here we report from a recent in situ mesocosm experiment off the coast of Gran Canaria in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic, where we investigated the influence of OA on the ecology and biogeochemistry of plankton communities in oligotrophic waters under close-to-natural conditions. This paper is the first in this Research Topic of Frontiers in Marine Biogeochemistry and provides (1) a detailed overview of the experimental design and important events during our mesocosm campaign, and (2) first insights into the ecological responses of plankton communities to simulated OA over the course of the 62-day experiment. One particular scientific objective of our mesocosm experiment was to investigate how OA impacts might differ between oligotrophic conditions and phases of high biological productivity, which regularly occur in response to upwelling of nutrient-rich deep water in the study region. Therefore, we specifically developed a deep water collection system that allowed us to obtain ~85 m3 of seawater from ~650 m depth. Thereby, we replaced ~20% of each mesocosms volume with deep water and successfully simulated a deep water upwelling event that induced a pronounced plankton bloom. Our study revealed significant effects of OA on the entire food web, leading to a restructuring of plankton communities that emerged during the oligotrophic phase, and was further amplified during the bloom that developed in response to deep water addition. Such CO2-related shifts in plankton community composition could have consequences for ecosystem productivity, biomass transfer to higher trophic levels, and biogeochemical element cycling of oligotrophic ocean regions.

Microplastic and tar pollution on three Canary Islands beaches: An annual study

Marine debris accumulation was analyzed from three exposed beaches of the Canary Islands (Lambra, Famara and Las Canteras). Large microplastics (1-5mm), mesoplastics (5-25mm) and tar pollution were assessed twice a month for a year. There was great spatial and temporal variability in the Canary Island coastal pollution. Seasonal patterns differed at each location, marine debris concentration depended mainly of local-scale wind and wave conditions. The most polluted beach was Lambra, a remote beach infrequently visited. The types of debris found were mainly preproduction resin pellets, plastic fragments and tar, evidencing that pollution was not of local origin, but it cames from the open sea. The levels of pollution were similar to those of highly industrialized and contaminated regions. This study corroborates that the Canary Islands are an area of accumulation of microplastics and tar rafted from the North Atlantic Ocean by the southward flowing Canary Current.

Influence of Starvation on Respiratory Metabolism and Pyridine Nucleotide Levels in the Marine Dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina

Respiratory oxygen consumption rate (RO2) and potential respiration (Φ) has been monitored during a food deprivation period in the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina. Φ was determined by measuring the activity of the enzymes from the electron transport system (ETS), the major contributor to the oxygen consumption in the cells. Additionally, we have quantified for the first time the concentration of pyridine nucleotides in this organism, both in their oxidized (NAD(P)(+)) and reduced forms (NAD(P)H). These molecules are the main electron donors at the beginning of the ETS. We observed a dramatic decrease in RO2 within the first days, whereas Φ steadily, but more gradually declined during the entire experiment. This led to a decrease of the RO2 /Φ with time. The intracellular total pool of NAD and NADP concentration, in turn, dropped exponentially in a manner parallel to the RO2. This strong decrease was mainly driven by a reduction in the concentration of the oxidized forms. The present work constitutes a first step in clarifying the role of intracellular NAD and NADP concentrations and the redox status in the control of in vivo RO2 in marine organisms.

Novel methodology to isolate microplastics from vegetal-rich samples

Microplastics are small plastic particles, globally distributed throughout the oceans. To properly study them, all the methodologies for their sampling, extraction, and measurement should be standardized. For heterogeneous samples containing sediments, animal tissues and zooplankton, several procedures have been described. However, definitive methodologies for samples, rich in algae and plant material, have not yet been developed. The aim of this study was to find the best extraction protocol for vegetal-rich samples by comparing the efficacies of five previously described digestion methods, and a novel density separation method. A protocol using 96% ethanol for density separation was better than the five digestion methods tested, even better than using H2O2 digestion. As it was the most efficient, simple, safe and inexpensive method for isolating microplastics from vegetal rich samples, we recommend it as a standard separation method.