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Exploring Ocean Productivity: The Microbial Revolution

Dive into the fascinating realm of ocean productivity through the lens of the microbial revolution, discovering major phytoplankton types and primary production processes. From traditional cell counts to advanced satellite technology, explore the controls and seasonal cycles affecting primary production, delving into HNLC regions and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Uncover the significance of macroalgae, zooxanthellae, and marine plants in primary production and understand the crucial role of light reactions in photosynthesis. Discover the various methods, including the Redfield Ratio and C14 tracer, applied in studying primary production, and learn about key control mechanisms such as photosynthetic light limitation, dissolved inorganic nutrients, marine bacteria, zooplankton grazing, and vertical mixing influencing ocean ecosystems.

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Exploring Ocean Productivity: The Microbial Revolution

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  1. Ocean Productivity

  2. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  3. The Microbial Revolution • 1970s Discovery of tiny photosynthetic microbes - Gyres • Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae) - e.g. Prochlorococcus • Source of Incredible Marine Natural Products - • Make up ½ of phytoplankton in Oceans! • A Microbial Revolution • Annually new discoveries of Microbes Alter the way We • Think about Ocean/systems

  4. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  5. Major Types of Plankton • Challenge Question - What are they? • Pico phytoplankton ≤ 2 uM - Cyanobacteria (prochlorococcus) • Nano phytoplankton ≤ 20 uM – Small Diatoms • Micro phytoplankton ≤ 200 uM - Large Diatoms, dinoflagellates

  6. Major Types of Plankton • Absorb UV light at different Wavelengths

  7. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  8. What is Primary Production? • The rate of production of Organic matter by phytoplankton or photo autotrophs • What are some examples of algae producers besides phytoplankton (aka macro algae)? • Macroalgae (Kelp) • Zooxanthellae (Coral) • True Marine Plants • Mangroves • Seagrass • Marsh Plants

  9. Primary Production (aka - a Bloom) • Light Reactions (Sunlight) -Photosynthesis • Dark Reactions (convert E from light w/ CO2  sugars) • CO2 + H2O + light  C6H12O + H2O + O2 • 106 CO2 + 122 H2O + 16 HNO3 + 1 H3PO4  106 C6H12O + H2O 16 NH3 + 1 H3PO4 + 138 O2 • THE REVERSE (grazing) RESPIRATION • Zooplakton, Fish, Whales, Humans • Eat e.g.Sugar  spit out CO2 (Sugar/Carbs) (Sugar)

  10. Fig. 13.8 Primary Production

  11. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  12. From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Many ways exist to estimate primary production • Here are several important approaches

  13. From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites Light and Dark Bottle Method

  14. Others look at elemental equivalents in Sea water remember Liebig’s Law of Minimum? • Challenge Question • What is the Redfield Ratio? • The optimum ratio of Macronutrients for Phytoplankton to bloom: • What is the ratio? Carbon Nitrogen Phosphorous • C106 N16 P1

  15. Fig. 13.3

  16. From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites The C14 radioactive Tracer Method

  17. From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites Artificial Fluorescence

  18. Artificial Fluorescence – compounds give off the color they are NOT absorbing

  19. Fig. 13.6 From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites Natural Fluorescence From Space Satellites

  20. From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Confirming Your Knowledge • What are some Major ways in which Oceanographers estimate Phytoplankton 1˚production? • Light & Dark bottle method • Look for removal of Dissolved elements (det. Growth rates) • Carbon -14 (14C) radioactive tracer to bottle/ incubate in Sun, CO2 fixed = Rate of Photosyn.) • Artificial Fluorescence • Sun Stimulated Fluorescence of Chlorophyll (Satellite imagery)

  21. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  22. Controls of Primary Production • Photosynthetic Light Limitation

  23. Controls of Primary Production • Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients

  24. Controls of Primary Production • Marine Bacteria and Nutrients • Reminerilization (recycling)

  25. Controls of Primary Production • Zoo plankton Grazing – keeps food web under control

  26. Fig. 13.13 • Controls of Primary Production • Vertical Mixing c c

  27. Confirming Your Knowledge Question(s)? • What are some of the Major Control Mechanisms of Primary Production? • The Photosynthetic Light Limitation • Amt. of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients (namely?) • Marine bacteria and Nutrient Recycling • Zooplankton Grazing • Vertical Mixing Issues

  28. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  29. Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • (different @ different places. . .

  30. Fig. 13.14.a

  31. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  32. HNLC Regions • Challenge Question – What are They & where do they occur? • HighNutrients areas (e.g. Nitrogen “N” & Phosphorous “P”) • However Lower then Expected Chlorophyll is produced there. . .(HNLC) • What key trace elements could be lacking? • Iron (Fe), Great Transporter of Oxygen (key Element in Marine life) • Silica (SiO2) Diatom Shells . . . http://www.es.ucsc.edu/~kbruland/Research/kwbRes.html Wooden Sunken Ship Where is the marine Life? Metal Sunken Ship ~ teaming with Life

  33. HNLC Regions • Challenge Question – What are they & Where do they occur? • Areas of low Iron (Fe) or Silica (Si) Input: • (either no Aeolian or no Sediment input or both) • e.g. Santa Cruz vs Big Sur Santa Cruz, CA Big Sur, CA

  34. HNLC Regions • Where do they occur? • Areas of low Iron (Fe) or Silica (Si) Input • e.g. Santa Cruz vs Big Sur SeaWIFS image showing surface chlorophyll concentrationsin squirts and eddies off the central California coast. (Provided by Raphael Kudela) Bathymetric Map of Central CA Coast. (Provided by USGS)

  35. HNLC regions • Well –Who Cares? What does it matter? • Fe Enrichment Experiments? (Fertilize the Oceans>?) • John Martin ( the Iron Man) a reality?

  36. YES - GLOBAL HNLC regions • Southern Ocean – Lots of NO3 • TO DATE – 9 Iron Enrichment Experiments Done: • (1993-2003) • A: IronEx I • B: IronEx II • D: SOIREE • E: EisenEx • G: SEEDS • H: SOFeX • J: Planktos • K: SERIES SOURCE: http://www.bbm.me.uk/FeFert/expSummary.htm

  37. HNLC Iron Enrichment • Still under investigation. . . • Stay tuned. . .. • Results • Inconclusive • Need to factor in what Other element? SOURCE: http://www.bbm.me.uk/FeFert/expSummary.htm

  38. OUTLINE • The Microbial Revolution • Major Types of Phytoplankton • What is Primary Production • From Studying Cell Counts to Satellites • Controls of Primary Production • Seasonal Cycle of Primary Production • HNLC Regions? • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  39. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS) aka red tides. . . • Challenge Questions • What are they & Where/How do they occur? • A bloom of phytoplankton • that is Harmful to the Environment • Can occur anywhere, esp. in areas of enhanced Nutrients • i.e. eutrophication zones. . What is that?

  40. Limnology/ Oceanography • Eutrophic vs Oligotrophic Environments • Nutrient Rich Nutrient Poor Lake Tahoe, CA Little Nutrients/ Runoff/ But Increasing. . . Clear Lake?, CA LOTS of Nutrients/ Runoff Pea Soup Green

  41. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS) aka red tides. . . • Where are some probable locations of HABS in the US & Why? • Mississippi • Washington Coast • Monterey Bay • Hypoxic/Anoxic Regions • if have Massive Blooms  Oxygen Depletion by Zooplankton

  42. HABS – How are they Harmful? • the Gulf of Mexico - Lots of Nutrients from Where? • 1) Hypoxic (low O2) and Anoxic Zones (No O2)  Fish Kills 

  43. HABS – Steadily Increasing since the 1970s – why? Many poisonings (Toxin ingestion) now associated with HABS. . .

  44. HABS – How are they Harmful? • 2) Planktonic production of Toxins (poisons) • i.e. (secondary metabolites), e.g. Marine Natural Products Chemistry • Toxins Ingested (as poisons)  biomagnify up Food Chain • Zooplankton  / mussel / anchovie  fish  bird • Two FAMOUS Cases - Dinoflagelate –Paralytic Shellfish poisoning (PSP) Alexandrium tamarense Diatom –Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) Pseudonitzschia australis. Saxitoxin Domoic acid

  45. HABS – How are they Harmful? • Not in the Textbooks - Yet • 3) Planktonic secreted (foam) Marine Natural Products • As Topical agents - Alter organisms mobility • Surfactants (soapy compounds) • compromise viability of Marine Bird feathers • See Recent Publication • http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/02/23/red-tides-kill-seabirds-with-soapy-foam/

  46. HABS • Confirming your Knowledge • What are 3 major ways in which HABS can be harmful? • 1) Hypoxic/anoxic zones • e.g Mississippi Nutrient Run off  massive blooms (O2 used up from Zooplankton) • Secondary Metabolite production (Marine Natural Products) • 2) Toxins produced/ingested – Biomagnified up Food Chain • i.e. Plankton mussels  fish  birds  humans • e.g. Domoic Acid (ASP), Saxitoxin (DSP) • 3) Topical agents - Alter organisms mobility • Surfactant production (soapy compounds) compromises feathers

  47. END OCEAN PRODUCTIVTY A whole New World of DISOCOVERY Last Lecture Wednesday – Turn In all Assignments Wed. – LAST DAY – FRIDAY HANG IN THERE – ALMOST DONE 

  48. Page 267

  49. Fig. 13.1

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