Seasonal variations in upwelling and in the grazing impact of copepods on phytoplankton off A Coruña (Galicia, NW Spain)

The impact of grazing by copepods on phytoplankton was studied during a seasonal cycle on the Galician shelf off A Coruña (NW Spain). Grazing was estimated by measuring the chlorophyll gut content and the evacuation rates of copepods from three mesh-size classes: 200-500 (small), 500-1000 (medium), and 1000-2000 μm (large). Between February 1996 and June 1997, monthly measurements of water temperature, chlorophyll concentration, primary production rates, and copepod abundance, chlorophyll gut content, and evacuation rates were taken at an 80-m-deep, fixed shelf station. Additionally, the same measurements were collected daily during two bloom events in March and in July 1996. Small copepods were the most abundant through the seasonal cycle. The highest grazing impact, however, was due to the medium and large size classes. Grazing by small copepods exceeded grazing by medium and large copepods only during phytoplankton spring blooms. The impact of copepod grazing (considering all size fractions) was generally low. On average, 2% of the phytoplankton biomass and 6% of the primary production were removed daily by the copepod community. Maximum grazing impact values (9% of the phytoplankton biomass and 39% of the primary production) were found in mid-summer. These results suggest that most of the phytoplankton biomass would escape direct copepod grazing in this upwelling area.     

Zooplankton interactions in an enclosure experiment: insights from stable isotope analyses

1. Density gradients of cladocerans and copepods were generated in an enclosure experiment to compare the impact on the plankton of a filter feeder (Daphnia hyalina × galeata) with that of more selective feeders (calanoid and cyclopoid copepods). The experiment was conducted in situ over 25 days during spring in a mesotrophic lake, Schöhsee, Germany. 2. The plankton community was monitored regularly. Daphniids were able to graze on the phytoplankton present, which mainly consisted of small (<1000 μm³) species, whereas copepods did not show any impact on algae. 3. At the end of the experiment, Daphnia and remaining cyclopoid copepods were harvested and sorted manually, prior to analyses for stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Daphniids from mesocosms stocked purely with differing densities of Daphnia showed little variability in stable isotope values, whereas those that thrived in enclosure bags together with copepods exhibited lower δ¹³C values. 4. The change in Daphniaδ¹³C indicates a change of food sources, modified by the presence of the copepods: the higher the mean abundance of copepods in the enclosures, the more ¹³C‐depleted the daphniids. Increasing abundance of high nucleic acid (HNA) bacteria in the copepod bags may account for the trend in Daphniaδ¹³C via increased grazing on the bacteria themselves, or via grazing on phytoplankton utilising isotopically light CO₂ from respiratory release. 5. Cyclopoid copepod stable isotope signatures were related to Daphnia and copepod abundances in copepod bags, suggesting that cyclopoids preyed on the available zooplankton.     

Calanoid copepod grazing on phytoplankton: seasonal experiments on natural communities

Calanoid copepods are major components of most lacustrine ecosystems and their grazing activities may influence both phytoplankton biomass and species composition. To assess this we conducted four seasonal, in situ, grazing experiments in eutrophic Lake Rotomanuka, New Zealand. Ambient concentrations of late stage copepodites and adults of calanoid copepods (predominantly Calamoecia lucasi, but with small numbers of Boeckella delicata) were allowed to feed for nine days on natural phytoplankton assemblages suspended in the lake within 1160 litre polyethylene enclosures. The copepods reduced the total phytoplankton biomass of the dominant species in all experiments but were most effective in summer (the time of highest grazer biomass) followed by spring and autumn. In response to grazing pressure the density of individual algal species showed either no change or a decline. There were no taxa which increased in density in the presence of the copepods. The calanoid copepods suppressed the smallest phytoplankton species (especially those with GALD (Greatest Axial Linear Dimension) < µm) and there appeared to be no selection of algae on the basis of biovolume. Algal taxa which showed strong declines in abundance in the presence of the copepods include Cyclotella stelligera, Coelastrum spp., Trachelomonas spp., Cryptomonas spp., and Mallomonas akrokomos. Calanoid copepods are considered important grazers of phytoplankton biomass in this lake. The study supports the view that high phytoplankton:zooplankton biomass ratios and large average algal sizes characteristic of New Zealand lake plankton may, at least partly, be caused by year round grazing pressure on small algae shifting the competitive balance in favour of larger algal species.     

Phytoplankton Cell Size: Intra- and Interspecific Effects of Warming and Grazing

Decreasing body size has been suggested as the third universal biological response to global warming after latitudinal/altitudinal range shifts and shifts in phenology. Size shifts in a community can be the composite result of intraspecific size shifts and of shifts between differently sized species. Metabolic explanations for the size shifts dominate in the literature but top down effects, i.e. intensified size-selective consumption at higher temperatures, have been proposed as alternative explanation. Therefore, we performed phytoplankton experiments with a factorial combination of warming and consumer type (protist feeding mainly on small algae vs. copepods mainly feeding on large algae). Natural phytoplankton was exposed to 3 (1^st experiment) or 4 (2^nd experiment) temperature levels and 3 (1^st experiment: nano-, microzooplankton, copepods) or 2 (2^nd experiment: microzooplankton, copepods) types of consumers. Size shifts of individual phytoplankton species and community mean size were analyzed. Both, mean cell size of most of the individual species and mean community cell size decreased with temperature under all grazing regimes. Grazing by copepods caused an additional reduction in cell size. Our results reject the hypothesis, that intensified size selective consumption at higher temperature would be the dominant explanation of decreasing body size. In this case, the size reduction would have taken place only in the copepod treatments but not in the treatments with protist grazing (nano- and microzooplankton).     

The importance of small-sized copepods in a frontal area of the Aegean Sea

Distribution, production and grazing of the copepod communitywere investigated in the northern Aegean Sea, which is characterizedby a permanent thermohaline front. Cruises were conducted alonga transect crossing the frontal area during spring and latesummer. Biomass and production of autotrophs were measured bysize fractionation and heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliateswere also studied. Copepod biomass, production and grazing impacton the phytoplankton and ciliate populations were estimated.The copepod community was sampled with a 45 µm net toinclude the smallest species and their developmental stages.The size, structure and distribution of the phytoplankton implythat most carbon was fixed by picoplankton during both seasonsand throughout the study area. The partitioning of carbon amongthe different plankton compartments was not a broad-based pyramidand the biomass of heterotrophs was higher than that of autotrophs,except in the non-frontal region during spring. Copepod biomasswas substantially higher in the frontal area. Our results showedthat the small-sized copepods (calanoids and cyclopoids) dominatedin terms of biomass and production, but also had a greater influenceon the efficiency of the trophic coupling between the primaryproducers and the protozooplankton than the larger species,stressing their importance in the northern Aegean Sea and theEastern Mediterranean in general.     

Planktonic marine copepods and harmful algae

Marine planktonic copepods are important grazers on harmful algae (HA) species of phytoplankton, and copepods are major entry points for vectorial intoxication of pelagic food webs with HA toxins. Previous reviews (Turner and Tester, 1997, Turner et al., 1998a, Turner, 2006) summarized information on HA interactions with zooplankton grazers, and vectorial intoxication of pelagic food webs, up through approximately 2005. Accordingly, this review will address primarily studies published during the last decade. It will concentrate on generic issues in the developing field of HA:grazer interactions, such as the extent to which HA toxins serve as copepod grazing deterrents, induction of HA grazing deterrents by exposure to copepods, copepod selective feeding to avoid ingesting HA taxa versus non-selective feeding on HA taxa, possible biogeographic aspects of the effects of HA toxins on copepods, impact of copepod grazing on HA bloom development and termination, the role of copepods as entry points for vectorial intoxication of pelagic food webs with HA toxins, and possible reasons and remedies for the highly-variable and conflicting results reported for many studies of copepod grazing on various HA species.     

Production of planktonic crustaceans in the White Sea

This paper analyzes different methods for assessment of the production of marine organisms. The estimated values of annual production and ration of planktonic copepods of the White Sea are 5.0 × 10¹² and 2.2 × 10¹³ kcal, respectively. Comparison of the planktonic copepod ration with phytoplankton production shows that the energy demands of the copepod community are met by consumption of phytoplankton and, probably, also bacterioplankton and detritus.     

Top-down control of natural phyto- and bacterioplankton prey communities by Daphnia magna and by the natural zooplankton community of the hypertrophic Lake Blankaart

Biomanipulation, through the reduction of fish abundance resulting in an increase of large filter feeders and a stronger top-down control on algae, is commonly used as a lake restoration tool in eutrophic lakes. However, cyanobacteria, often found in eutrophic ponds, can influence the grazing capacity of filter feeding zooplankton. We performed grazing experiments in hypertrophic Lake Blankaart during two consecutive summers (1998, with and 1999, without cyanobacteria) to elucidate the influence of cyanobacteria on the grazing pressure of zooplankton communities. We compared the grazing pressure of the natural macrozooplankton community (mainly small to medium-sized cladocerans and copepods) with that of large Daphnia magna on the natural bacterioplankton and phytoplankton prey communities. Our results showed that in the absence of cyanobacteria, Daphnia magna grazing pressure on bacteria was higher compared to the grazing pressure of the natural zooplankton community. However, Daphnia grazing rates on phytoplankton were not significantly different compared to the grazing rates of the natural zooplankton community. When cyanobacteria were abundant, grazing pressure of Daphnia magnaseemed to be inhibited, and the grazing pressure on bacteria and phytoplankton was similar to that of the natural macrozooplankton community. Our results suggest that biomanipulation may not always result in a more effective top-down control of the algal biomass.     

Top‐down regulation of filamentous cyanobacteria varies among a raptorial versus current feeding copepod across multiple prey generations

1. Although considered a key functional trait, little is known about how zooplankton feeding mode affects top‐down regulation of phytoplankton communities. Indeed, copepods are expected to promote the dominance of toxic phytoplankton by selective removal of their edible competitors; however, empirical evidence comparing the effect among calanoid and cyclopoid copepods is lacking.
2. We compared the top‐down effects of two copepods with contrasting feeding modes—the calanoid Notodiaptomus iheringi (current feeder) and the cyclopoid Thermocyclops decipiens (ambush feeder) — on the relative and absolute biomass of the filamentous cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii co‐cultured with the nutritious eukaryotic phytoplankton Cryptomonas obovata in a week‐long laboratory assay.
3. The current feeder had a stronger top‐down effect on the biomass of both prey throughout the experiment, with mass‐specific clearance rates 3–5× higher than ambush feeder. By the end of the experiment, the current feeder significantly reduced cyanobacteria biomass compared to controls while the ambush feeder did not. During the week‐long experiment, the current feeder switched from grazing on edible prey to cyanobacteria as the former became less abundant.
4. Contrary to expectation, neither of the copepod species promoted cyanobacterial dominance by the end of the experiment. This is because both grazers, but especially the current feeder, initially increased but subsequently decreased the relative contribution of cyanobacteria to total phytoplankton biomass. Moreover, both copepods decreased the length of cyanobacteria filaments by c. 70%
5. Current feeders can switch from edible prey to cyanobacteria when the abundance of shortened filaments surpasses the abundance of edible prey. While top‐down regulation of phytoplankton can be stronger for current feeding copepods, ambush feeding copepods can have a significant role during blooms by shortening cyanobacterial filaments. Hence, the broader role of contrasting copepod feeding traits on phytoplankton communities merits further study.

     

Copepod grazing in a summer cyanobacteria bloom in the Gulf of Finland

Blooms of the cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae dominated the phytoplankton assemblages of the western Gulf of Finland and the eastern side of the northern Baltic Sea in late July–August, 1992. The bloom overlapped the peak seasonal contributions of the dominant mesozooplankton herbivores in the region, the copepods Acartia bifilosa and Eurytemora affinis and the cladoceran Bosmina longispina maritima. Using radio-labelling techniques; the copepods were offered one of the cyanobacteria, Nodularia, as well as the 10–54 µm fraction of the natural phytoplankton assemblage. In general, incorporation rates of the labelled phytoplankton into the copepods declined with increasing contributions of the cyanobacteria. For both copepods, incorporation was inversely related to total phytoplankton biomass, whether measured as chlorophyll, total cells or cyanobacteria biomass. The very low rates for Acartia (< 0.8 µl [copepod h]^–1) indicated that this copepod was likely starving in the cyanobacteria bloom, consistent with the generally poor condition of the animal observed in the laboratory. The other major mesozooplanktor, B. longispina maritima, ingested substantially more cyanobacterial biomass than the two copepods, based on HPLC-identified cyanobacteria-specific pigment echinenone in the gut. Bloom carbon provided < 1% and < 4% of the daily rations for Acartia and Eurytemora, respectively. Total copepod demand in the cyanobacteria blooms was trivial, < 1% of bloom biomass consumed daily. These results suggest that copepod herbivory is relatively unimportant in dissipating summer cyanobacteria blooms in the Gulf of Finland.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Daphnia</Emphasis> versus copepod impact on summer phytoplankton: functional compensation at both trophic levels

Here we report on a mesocom study performed to compare the top-down impact of microphagous and macrophagous zooplankton on phytoplankton. We exposed a species-rich, summer phytoplankton assemblage from the mesotrophic Lake Schöhsee (Germany) to logarithmically scaled abundance gradients of the microphagous cladoceran Daphnia hyalina×galeata and of a macrophagous copepod assemblage. Total phytoplankton biomass, chlorophyll a and primary production showed only a weak or even insignificant response to zooplankton density in both gradients. In contrast to the weak responses of bulk parameters, both zooplankton groups exerted a strong and contrasting influence on the phytoplankton species composition. The copepods suppressed large phytoplankton, while nanoplanktonic algae increased with increasing copepod density. Daphnia suppressed small algae, while larger species compensated in terms of biomass for the losses. Autotrophic picoplankton declined with zooplankton density in both gradients. Gelatinous, colonial algae were fostered by both zooplankton functional groups, while medium-sized (ca. 3,000 µm³), non-gelatinous algae were suppressed by both. The impact of a functionally mixed zooplankton assemblage became evident when Daphnia began to invade and grow in copepod mesocosms after ca. 10 days. Contrary to the impact of a single functional group, the combined impact of both zooplankton groups led to a substantial decline in total phytoplankton biomass.     

Ingestion of the dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida, by the calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa

The dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida, can form harmful algal blooms in estuarine environments. The dominant copepod species usually found in these waters is Acartia tonsa. We tested the ability of A. tonsa to graze the non-toxic zoospore stage of P. piscicida and thus serve as a potential biological control of blooms of this algal species. A. tonsa grazed the non-toxic zoospore stages of both a non-inducible P. piscicida strain (FDEPMDR23) and a potentially toxic strain (Tox-B101156) at approximately equal rates. Ingestion of P. piscicida increased with cell concentration and exhibited a saturated feeding response. Both the maximum number of cells ingested (I_max) and the slope of the ingestion curve (α) of A. tonsa feeding on P. piscicida were comparable to these ingestion parameters for A. tonsa fed similar-sized phytoplankton and protozoan species. When these laboratory ingestion rates were combined with abundance estimates of A. tonsa from the Pocomoke Estuary and Chesapeake Bay, we found that significant grazing control of the non-toxic zoospore stage of P. piscicida by A. tonsa would only occur at high copepod abundances (>10 copepods L⁻¹). We conclude that under most in situ conditions the potential biological control of blooms of P. piscicida is exerted by microzooplankton grazers. However, in the less saline portions of estuaries where maximum concentrations of copepods often occur with low abundances of microzooplankton, copepod grazing coefficients can be similar to the growth rates of P. piscicida.     

Grazing rates and behaviors of Neocalanus plumchrus: implications for phytoplankton control in the subarctic Pacific

Grazing rates and behaviors of the copepod Neocalanus plumchrus were investigated in shipboard experiments during the first SUPER Program cruise (May, 1984). N. plumchrus can exploit cells in the 2 to 30 m size range with equal clearance efficiency but displays considerable flexibility in responding to changes in concentration and size composition. Its functional response helps to stabilize phytoplankton at low densities. In 60-liter microcosms, a density of one copepod liter^–1 was sufficient to maintain the ambient abundance and structure of the phytoplankton community for a week. In the absence of the copepod, phytoplankton bloomed to unnaturally high levels, and the community composition was dramatically altered. Despite its grazing potential, N. plumchrus was not present in sufficient density to control phytoplankton blooms in the subarctic Pacific. However, the copepod may have an important role in regulating the abundance of smaller grazers and the size structure of the phytoplankton community.Contribution No. 2002 from Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822     

Structure and grazing impact of the mesozooplankton community during late summer 1994 near South Georgia, Antarctica

Mesozooplankton abundance, community structure and grazing impact were determined during late austral summer (February/March) 1994 at eight oceanic stations near South Georgia using samples collected with a Bongo and WP-2 nets in the upper 200-m and 100-m layer, respectively. The zooplankton abundance was generally dominated by copepodite stages C3–C5 of six copepod species: Rhincalanus gigas, Calanus simillimus, Calanoides acutus, Metridia spp., Clausocalanus laticeps and Ctenocalanus vanus. Most copepods had large lipid sacs. All copepods accounted for 41–98% of total zooplankton abundance. Juvenile euphausiids were the second most important component contributing between 1 and 20% of total abundance. Pteropods, mainly Limacina inflata, were important members of the pelagic community at two sites, accounting for 44 and 53% of total abundance. Average mesozooplankton biomass in the upper 200 m was 8.0 g dry weight m⁻², ranging from 4.3 to 11.5 g dry weight m⁻². With the exception of Calanussimillimus, gut pigment contents and feeding activity of copepod species were low, suggesting that some species, after having stored large lipid reserves, had probably started undergoing developmental arrest. Daily mesozooplankton grazing impact, measured using in situ gut fluorescence techniques and in vitro incubations, varied widely from <1 to 8% (mean 3.5%) of phytoplankton standing stock, and from 5 to 102% (mean 36%) of primary production. The highest grazing impact was found northeast of the island co-incident with the lowest phytoplankton biomass and primary production levels. Received: 30 October 1996 / Accepted: 23 February 1997     

Comparative study of the planktonic communities of three lakes of contrasting trophic status at Hope Bay (Antarctic Peninsula)

Three water bodies of contrasting trophic status located atHope Bay (Antarctic Peninsula) were studied during the summerof 1999, analysing all of their planktonic communities (zooplankton,phytoplankton and bacterioplankton) and their main limnologicalfeatures. Important differences associated with their trophicconditions were found among lakes. At one extreme of the gradient,in the most oligotrophic lake (Lake Chico), the nektobenthiccopepod Boeckella poppei and the rotifer Philodina gregariawere dominant in the open waters, and copepods presented a singlereproductive event (univoltine life cycle); phytoplankton exhibitedthe lowest densities, dominated by nanoplanktonic Chrysophyceaeand picocyanobacteria. In the meso-eutrophic Lake Boeckella,B. poppei, the dominant zooplankter, exhibited a multivoltinelife cycle; phytoplankton were mainly represented by nanoplanktonicspecies of Volvocales, alternating with flagellate Chrysophyceae,and a great abundance of picocyanobacteria. In the hypertrophicPingüi Pond, zooplankters were exclusively representedby bdelloid rotifers and ciliates; phytoplankton samples includedsome strictly planktonic species (Volvocales), a great proportionof picocyanobacteria and many typically benthic species (oscillatoriansand diatoms) due to the shallowness of the water body. Bacterioplanktondensities did not show important differences among lakes, butfluctuations, probably associated with a top-down control, wereobserved in the hypertrophic pond. This paper constitutes thefirst survey concerning all the planktonic compartments of waterbodies of different trophic status at Hope Bay, describing therelative contributions of autotrophic and heterotrophic componentsto their food webs.     

Fish-induced changes in zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton: a long-term study in shallow hypertrophic Lake Sobygaard

The impact of fish-mediated changes on the structure and grazingof zooplankton on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton was studiedin Lake Søbygaard during the period 1984–92 bymeans of in vitro grazing experiments (¹⁴C-labelled phytoplankton,³H-labelled bacterioplankton) and model predictions. Measuredzooplankton clearance rates ranged from 0–25 ml l^–1h^–1 on phytoplankton to 0–33 ml l^–1 h^–1on bacterioplankton.The highest rates were found during thesummer when Daphnia spp. were dominant. As the phytoplanktonbiomass was substantially greater than that of bacterioplanktonthroughout the study period, ingestion of phytoplankton was26-fold greater than that of bacterioplankton. Multiple regressionanalysis of the experimental data revealed that Daphnia spp.,Bosmina longirostris and Cyclops vicinus, which were the dominantzooplankton, all contributed significantly to the variationin ingestion of phytoplankton, while only Daphnia spp. contributedsignificantly to that of bacterioplankton. Using estimated meanvalues for clearance and ingestion rates for different zooplankters,we calculated zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and bacterioplanktonon the basis of monitoring data of lake plankton obtained duringa 9 year study period. Summer mean grazing ranged from 2 to4% of phytoplankton production and 2% of bacterioplankton productionto maxima of 53 and 88%, respectively. The grazing percentagedecreased with increasing density of planktivorous fish caughtin August each year using gill nets and shore-line electrofishing.The changes along a gradient of planktivorous fish abundanceseemed highest for bacterioplankton. Accordingly, the percentagecontribution of bacterioplankton to the total ingestion of thetwo carbon sources decreased from a summer mean value of 8%in Daphnia-dominated communities at lower fish density to 0.7–1.1%at high fish density, when cyclopoid copepods or Bosmina androtifers dominated. Likewise, the percentage of phytoplanktonproduction channelled through the bacteria varied, it beinghighest (5–8%) at high fish densities. It is argued thatthe negative impact of zooplankton grazing on bacterioplanktonin shallow lakes is highest at intermediate phosphorus levels,under which conditions Daphnia dominate the zooplankton community.     

Size fractionated phytoplankton production in two humic shallow lakes with contrasting coverage of free floating plants

We conducted a 1-year survey in two humic shallow lakes from the floodplain of the Lower Paraná River, Laguna Grande Lake (LGL) and a relictual oxbow lake (ROL). We aimed to test two hypotheses: (1) the efficiency in light use of picoplankton (0.2–3 μm) is greater as light restriction increases and (2) the contribution of picoplankton to the total productivity is higher when the total photosynthetic biomass is lower. We performed P–E curves for picoplankton and nano- and microplankton (>3 μm) using the ¹⁴C assimilation technique. The light environments of the water bodies differed mainly owing to the development of free floating plants on the surface of the ROL and the dominance of phytoplankton in LGL. Primary productivity patterns in LGL were seasonality driven whilst in the ROL they were related to the coverage of floating macrophytes, which promoted light limitation and a lower productivity. In LGL, nano- and microplankton were in general more productive and the relative contribution of picoplankton to the total phytoplankton production decreased with the increase in total photosynthetic biomass. Hence, our study extends previously observed patterns to subtropical shallow lakes, where seasonality and free floating plants may influence the dynamics of phytoplankton production.     

Periphyton as alternative food source for the filter-feeding cladoceran Daphnia magna

1.  Daphnia magna , a well-studied primary consumer, is mainly known as a filter feeder. In this study, we investigated the ability of D. magna to use periphyton as an alternative food source to phytoplankton. We examined the development of laboratory populations fed with different food sources ( Desmodesmus subspicatus and/or periphyton or neither) over a period of 42 days, and observed the behaviour of the daphnids.
2.  The addition of periphyton to phytoplankton food led to an increase of daphnid population biomass. When fed with periphyton as the only food source, a small but stable D. magna population developed.
3.  The behaviour of daphnids fed with both food sources revealed a preference for feeding on D. subspicatus . Only below a concentration of D. subspicatus of approximately 0.05 mg C L⁻¹ (0.4 × 10⁷ cells L⁻¹) did D. magna use periphyton as an alternative food source.
4.  Periphyton showed distinct reactions to grazing by D. magna . The thickness of the periphyton layer was reduced from about 4 to 1 mm and we observed a change in species composition due to grazing.
5.  The ability of D. magna to graze on periphyton could serve to stabilize its population density and reinforce its competitive advantage over other cladocerans. By switching between food sources, D. magna can act as a coupler between pelagic and benthic habitats and food webs.     

Assimilation of Fe and carbon by marine copepods from Fe-limited and Fe-replete diatom prey

Previous studies have demonstrated that growth of marine phytoplankton, bacteria and protozoa can be limited by the availability of Fe. We report evidence that the amount of Fe assimilated by crustacean grazers is affected by the Fe status of their pry. ⁵⁹Fe and ¹⁴C radiotracers were used to follow the fate of Fe and carbon during trophic transfer from diatoms to copepods. Fe assimilation efficiency was higher for copepods ingesting Fe-limited Thalassiosira weissflogii (17%) compared to diatoms that were not limited by Fe (10%), but assimilated Fe was lost more rapidly by copepods ingesting Fe-limited prey. Fe:C assimilation ratios were lower in copepods (5-12 mol Fe:mol C) than the cellular ratios of the phytoplankton prey (17-35 mol Fe:mol C), suggesting that copepods do not accumulate Fe relative to C during grazing. The largest single fate for Fe and C after grazing was regeneration to dissolved pools. Fe:C ratios in dissolved pools were approximately equal to the ratios in the original prey, but Fe:C ratios were higher in particular pools (largely fecal pellets), which should facilitate the export of Fe from the euphotic zone relative to C. Although copepod grazing does recycle cellular Fe and C, our results indicate that grazing may also tend to enhance Fe stress for lower trophic levels by removing Fe from the euphotic zone faster than C.      

Responses of a Maritime Antarctic lake to a catastrophic draining event under a climate change scenario

The limnological features of Lake Boeckella, the main water body of Esperanza/Hope Bay (Antarctic Peninsula), were evaluated over a 16-year period, under a climate change context evidenced by the increasing air temperature trend reported for this region for the last 50 years. We analyzed the physicochemical and phytoplankton data of the lake obtained from 1991 to 2007 during the austral summers. At the beginning of January 2001, a sudden water level drop (~3 m) occurred in Lake Boeckella as a consequence of an extremely high water discharge to the sea. This was triggered by the progressive thawing of the permafrost in the basin of the system. After this disturbance, nutrients, conductivity, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and picoplankton density showed strong peaks. The pre-draining and post-draining periods showed significant differences for most of the limnological variables analyzed. Secchi disk depth significantly decreased throughout the study period, resulting in a thinner euphotic layer. Chrysophyceae and Volvocales dominated the >2 μm phytoplankton fraction in the lake, but from 2004 onwards, other small-sized eukaryotic algae (3–5 μm) also became very abundant. Autotrophic picoplankton showed a significant peak during the summer when the water level decreased. A shift in their composition was observed through the study period: in 1998, picocyanobacteria were numerically dominant; from 2002 onwards, picoeukaryotes increased and became dominant in 2004. This study suggests that climate change may trigger the thawing of the permafrost in the catchments of Maritime Antarctic lakes, leading to catastrophic draining events, which favor natural eutrophication processes.