Seasonal mixed layer depth shapes phytoplankton physiology, viral production, and accumulation in the North Atlantic

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 6634
• Main Authors: Diaz, Ben P., Knowles, Ben, Johns, Christopher T., Laber, Christien P., Bondoc, Karen Grace V., Haramaty, Liti, Natale, Frank, Harvey, Elizabeth L., Kramer, Sasha J., Bolaños, Luis M., Lowenstein, Daniel P., Fredricks, Helen F., Graff, Jason, Westberry, Toby K., Mojica, Kristina D. A., Haëntjens, Nils, Baetge, Nicholas, Gaube, Peter, Boss, Emmanuel, Carlson, Craig A., Behrenfeld, Michael J., Van Mooy, Benjamin A. S., Bidle, Kay D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 17-11-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 101/58; 13/2; 13/31; 704/158/2446/2447; 704/829/826; 96/34; Accumulation; Atlantic Ocean; Biomass; Drawdown; Ecology; Ekologi; Eutrophication; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lipids; multidisciplinary; Nutrients; Oxidative stress; Physiology; Phytoplankton; Phytoplankton - physiology; Phytoplankton - virology; Plankton; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seasons; Seawater - chemistry; Seawater - microbiology; Spring; Spring (season); Stress, Physiological; Virus Physiological Phenomena; Viruses; Atlantic Ocean
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26836-1

Seasonal shifts in phytoplankton accumulation and loss largely follow changes in mixed layer depth, but the impact of mixed layer depth on cell physiology remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the physiological state of phytoplankton populations associated with distinct bloom phases and mixing regimes in the North Atlantic. Stratification and deep mixing alter community physiology and viral production, effectively shaping accumulation rates. Communities in relatively deep, early-spring mixed layers are characterized by low levels of stress and high accumulation rates, while those in the recently shallowed mixed layers in late-spring have high levels of oxidative stress. Prolonged stratification into early autumn manifests in negative accumulation rates, along with pronounced signatures of compromised membranes, death-related protease activity, virus production, nutrient drawdown, and lipid markers indicative of nutrient stress. Positive accumulation renews during mixed layer deepening with transition into winter, concomitant with enhanced nutrient supply and lessened viral pressure.
Phytoplankton are important primary producers. Here the authors investigate phytoplankton physiological changes associated with bloom phases and mixing regimes in the North Atlantic, finding that stratification and deep mixing shape accumulation rates by altering physiology and viral production.