Diversity of phototrophic phytoplankton in Northern South China Sea indicated by <Emphasis Type="Italic">rbcL</Emphasis> analysis

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) as an important enzyme in photosynthetic process exists in various marine phytoplankton. To investigate the photosynthetic phytoplankton communities, conservative encoding gene of RubisCO large subunit (rbcL) was chosen as a target gene in this study. We constructed 33 clone libraries from samples collected in the north of South China Sea (NSCS) and retained 3173 sequences for further analysis. Results of BLASTp showed Stramenopiles and Haptophyta were predominant taxonomic groups in this area, while only five harmful species of Dinophyta were observed. According to the estimators of biodiversity, the photosynthetic community of N709 had very low genetic diversity and richness, which could be explained by the influence of brackish estuarine environment. Beta diversity showed that all samples could be clustered into three groups and those samples with approximately the same distance to land clustered together. Temperature, depth, and latitude of stations as biogeographic factors were indicated to have a significantly positive or negative relation with biodiversity estimators of the phytoplankton community. We concluded that biogeographic factors could be linked with difference in diversity and population of natural phytoplankton assemblages in horizontal surface of NSCS in summer 2007.     

Responses of phytoplankton diversity to physical disturbance under manual operation in a large reservoir, China

In aquatic ecosystems, physical disturbances have been suggested to be one of the main factors influencing phytoplankton structure and diversity. To elucidate whether large-scale artificial operation of a hydroelectric reservoir has potential impacts on phytoplankton diversity, the impact on phytoplankton biodiversity of physical disturbances under artificial operation from May 2007 to April 2008 in tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China, was analysed. Two disturbance parameters, i.e. the absolute incremental rates of discharge (R _d,i ) and precipitation (R _p,i ), were created in this study for evaluating physical disturbance intensities during low and high water level periods of the TGR. Results showed that river discharge seemed to be the main factor controlling the phytoplankton diversity in low water level periods (≤151 m), and that precipitation was a potential promoter of the physical disturbance. During the 156-m impoundment process, the species diversity clearly decreased due to the high dilution effect on the phytoplankton communities. At high water level periods (>151 m), the low levels of disturbance eventually allowed the phytoplankton community to approach competitive exclusion in late February 2008. Sharply declining diversity values appeared when the Dinophyta blooms occurred in late March and late April 2008 (Peridinium and Ceratium, respectively).     

Phytoplankton alpha diversity as an indicator of environmental changes in a neotropical floodplain

Habitat fragmentation, overexploitation of natural resources, the introduction of alien species and environmental degradation in aquatic environments are the main causes of reductions in aquatic biota diversity. Phytoplankton represent good ecological indicators because they are highly diverse and rapidly respond to a wide array of environmental disturbances. We investigated the interannual variation in alpha diversity of the phytoplankton community in lakes of an alluvial floodplain. We predicted that the phytoplankton diversity decreases over time in lakes and rivers subjected to human activities, whereas those biotopes in areas under pristine environmental conditions do not show a reduction in alpha diversity. Phytoplankton samples were taken quarterly over a period of eleven years (2000–2010), from ten localities associated with three large rivers, which showed different uses of the watershed. The time series of alpha diversity was analysed, to assess the temporal trend, in addition to their relationships with environmental factors. Phytoplankton alpha diversity in the Upper Paraná River floodplain ranged between 4 and 87 species and showed a mean of 30 (±16.5). Sites associated with the Paraná River showed a decline in diversity, which was associated with transparency, nitrogen and phosphorus forms. These results reflect a combination of seston retention by damming and an increase in the N:P ratio, which appears to negatively affect phytoplankton diversity. If temporal trends in environmental variation and the phytoplankton community remain, the future consequences for phytoplanktonic diversity in the Paraná subsystem will be severe, which might cause changes in the trophic structure and dynamics, and therefore in the functioning of environments, since this community is one of the main sources of energy for other trophic levels.     

Intron features of key functional genes mediating nitrogen metabolism in marine phytoplankton

Introns are widespread and variable in eukaryotic genomes. Although their histories and functions, or even whether all of them have any function, remain largely unknown, analysis of intron sequences and genomic contexts may shed light on the evolutionary history of genes and organisms. The number and frequency of introns vary widely in the small number of published genomes of protists and algae suggesting that the same is true of the vast diversity of protists and algae that remain uncultivated. The objective of this study were to investigate introns in sequences of functional genes of phytoplankton, both in published genomes and in sequences obtained from environmental clone libraries. We examined the introns of the genes involved in nitrogen uptake and assimilation pathways in the genome sequences of cultivated phytoplankton as well as in environmental clone libraries of nitrate reductases (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), nitrate transporter (Nrt2) and ammonium transporter (AMT) genes constructed from pelagic phytoplankton communities in Monterey Bay (CA, USA) and Onslow Bay (NC, USA). Here we describe the most extensive set to date of intron sequences from uncultivated marine algae and report important differences for diatom vs. non-diatom sequences. The majority of the introns in NR, NiR, Nrt2 and AMT from cultured phytoplankton and environmental libraries showed canonical splice patterns. Introns found in diatom-like NR environmental libraries had lower GC content than the respective exons. The green algal-like NR and Nrt2 environmental sequences had introns and exons of much more similar GC content, and both higher than in diatoms. These patterns suggest a different evolutionary history and recent acquisition of diatom introns compared to other algae.     

Analysis of diversity of chromophytic phytoplankton in a mangrove ecosystem using rbcL gene sequencing

Phytoplankton forms the basis of primary production in mangrove environments. The phylogeny and diversity based on the amplification and sequencing of rbcL, the large subunit encoding the key enzyme ribulose‐1, 5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase was investigated for improved understanding of the community structure and temporal trends of chromophytic eukaryotic phytoplankton assemblages in Sundarbans, the world's largest continuous mangrove. Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) were by far the most frequently detected group in clone libraries (485 out of 525 clones), consistent with their importance as a major bloom‐forming group. Other major chromophytic algal groups including Cryptophyceae, Haptophyceae, Pelagophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae, and Raphidophyceae which are important component of the assemblages were detected for the first time from Sundarbans based on rbcL approach. Many of the sequences from Sundarbans rbcL clone libraries showed identity with key bloom forming diatom genera namely Thalassiosira, Skeletonema and Nitzschia. Similarly, several rbcL sequences which were diatom‐like were also detected highlighting the need to explore diatom communities from the study area. Some of the rbcL sequences detected from Sundarbans were ubiquitous in distribution showing 100% identities with uncultured rbcL sequences targeted previously from the Gulf of Mexico and California upwelling system that are geographically separated from study area. Novel rbcL lineages were also detected highlighting the need to culture and sequence phytoplankton from the ecoregion. Principal component analysis revealed that nitrate is an important variable that is associated with observed variation in phytoplankton assemblages (operational taxonomic units). This study applied molecular tools to highlight the ecological significance of diatoms, in addition to other chromophytic algal groups in Sundarbans.     

Bacterioplankton composition of the coastal upwelling system of 'Ría de Vigo', NW Spain

Catalysed reported deposition-FISH and clone libraries indicated that Roseobacter , followed by Bacteroidetes , and some gammaproteobacterial groups such as SAR86, dominated the composition of bacterioplankton in Ría de Vigo, NW Spain, in detriment to SAR11 (almost absent in this upwelling ecosystem). Since we sampled four times during the year, we observed pronounced changes in the structure of each bacterioplankton component, particularly for the Roseobacter lineage. We suggest that such variations in the coastal upwelling ecosystem of Ría de Vigo were associated with the characteristic phytoplankton communities of the four different hydrographical situations: winter mixing, spring bloom, summer stratification, and autumn upwelling. We retrieved new sequences among the major marine bacterial lineages, particularly among Roseobacter , SAR11, and especially SAR86. The spring community was dominated by two Roseobacter clades that had previously been related to phytoplankton blooms. In the other seasons, communities with higher diversity than the spring one were detected.     

深圳湾浮游植物群落结构特征及其与环境因子的关系

为研究深圳湾海域浮游植物的群落结构及其与水环境的关系,分别于春夏秋冬(2013年8月至2014年4月)四个季度对深圳湾进行采样分析,并对调查区域内的浮游植物及其主要环境因子进行了相关性分析.结果表明,深圳湾海域共鉴定出浮游植物111种(包括变种和变型):硅藻35属86种,甲藻4属15种,绿藻6属6种,蓝藻3属4种,其中...     

Phytoplankton diversity (alpha,beta, and gamma) from the Araguaia River tropical floodplain lakes (central Brazil)

Alpha, beta and gamma are three components of species diversity. Knowing these attributes in floodplain lake phytoplankton communities is vital when selecting conservation areas. Species diversity is commonly used with other taxonomic groups, but rarely with phytoplankton. We compared the number of phytoplankton species (alpha diversity) from 21 Middle Araguaia River floodplain lakes in the 2000 and 2001 rainy and dry seasons. From these samples we estimated complete survey species richness (gamma diversity), quantified differences in species composition between lakes (beta diversity) and assessed the influence of abiotic variables on beta diversity. We recorded a total of 577 taxa. The Sjack1 estimator indicated that 62.31% of taxa were sampled in the 2000 rainy and 67.65% dry seasons, and 68.36% in the 2001 rainy and 73.5% dry seasons. In almost all seasons, alpha diversity negatively correlated with latitude. Beta diversity (β-1) was higher in high water periods, especially in 2000. This may have been caused by isolated heavy rainfall, which would have increased environmental heterogeneity and raised beta diversity. DCA showed differences in phytoplankton composition between rainy and dry seasons in 2000 and 2001, reflecting the influence of flood pulses on phytoplankton composition. The Mantel test indicated spatial distribution patterns where geographically more distant lakes had less-similar phytoplankton communities. Handling editor: J. Padisak     

Experimental manipulations of microbial food web interactions in a humic lake: shifting biological drivers of bacterial community structure

A previous multiyear study observed correlations between bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) and abundance and the dynamics of phytoplankton populations and bacterivorous grazers in a humic lake. These observations generated hypotheses about the importance of trophic interactions (both top-down and bottom-up) for structuring bacterial communities in this lake, which were tested using two multifactorial food web manipulation experiments that separately manipulated the intensity of grazing and the composition of the phytoplankton community. Our results, combined with field observations, suggest that a hierarchy of drivers structures bacterial communities in this lake. While other studies have noted links between aggregate measures of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton communities, we demonstrate here correlations between succession of phytoplankton assemblages and BCC as assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). We used a novel approach linking community ARISA data to phylogenetic assignments from sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries to examine the responses of specific bacterial phylotypes to the experimental manipulations. The synchronous dynamics of these populations suggests that primary producers may mediate BCC and diversity through labile organic matter production, which evolves in quality and quantity during phytoplankton succession. Superimposed on this resource-mediated control of BCC are brief periods of intense bacterivory that impact bacterial abundance and composition.     

Disturbance, diversity and phytoplankton production in a reservoir affected by inter-basin water transfers

The effect of water transfers between two reservoirs on the phytoplankton community of the receiving reservoir was investigated over a 9-year period. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to demonstrate the significance of water transfers as an anthropogenic disturbance to the phytoplankton community and its diversity. A mass balance associated with a Granger causality test was applied to discriminate between the cell transport effect from the upstream reservoir and internal processes within the receiving reservoir, and to quantify the net phytoplankton growth in the receiving reservoir. Low and high disturbance regimes were identified and diversity was maximised during low disturbance conditions. The decrease of diversity during high disturbance conditions was explained by decreasing retention time, increasing silica loads and by the transport of specific phytoplankton genera, i.e. diatoms, from the upstream reservoir. Disturbance regimes significantly affected the relationship between phytoplankton production and diversity. Low disturbance regimes were described by phytoplankton dynamics likely influenced by complementarity effects, while high disturbance regimes were characterised by a phytoplankton community dominated by highly productive species and increased productivity, thus indicating an advantage of selection behaviour over complementarity effects. The phytoplankton diversity, expressed as evenness, was identified as a key variable explaining the relationship disturbance-diversity-phytoplankton production.     

太湖浮游细菌与春末浮游藻类群落结构演替的相关分析

为研究浮游细菌与浮游藻类群落演替的相关性,2005年4月至6月在太湖5个观测点采集浮游细菌及浮游藻类样本。分别采用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳（PCR—DGGE）和显微观察的方法分析浮游细菌及浮游藻类群落组成。结果表明,春末夏初,浮游细菌与藻类均呈现较高的多样性,浮游细菌DGGE图谱具有43种不同条带,浮游藻类的常见种有29种。浮游细菌群落聚类分析显示,丝藻（Ulothrix sp．）和微囊藻（Microcystis spp．）占优势时,浮游细菌群落基因组成存在明显差异。以藻类种群Shannon—Wiener多样性指数（Hp）,浮游藻类总细胞数（N）以及Microcystis spp．（M）百分含量为变量,典型对应分析（CCA）结果显示浮游细菌与浮游藻类群落结构变化的相关系数为30．9％,表明春末夏初太湖浮游细菌与浮游藻类群落演替具有较高的相关性。     

Influence of Pulsed Inflows and Nutrient Loading on Zooplankton and Phytoplankton Community Structure and Biomass in Microcosm Experiments Using Estuarine Assemblages

Productivity and community structure of phytoplankton and zooplankton are influenced by hydrologic disturbances in many ways. In a recent modeling study it was suggested that pulsed inflows might enhance zooplankton performance, curb accumulation of phytoplankton accumulated biomass, and promote phytoplankton species diversity. We tested these predictions by performing microcosm experiments on natural plankton assemblages from the Nueces Delta, TX, USA. On three occasions (March, June, and September 2001), experiments of semi-continuous and flow-through design were conducted using natural plankton assemblages. We investigated the effect of two different inflow and nutrient loading regimes on zooplankton biomass, and phytoplankton biomass and diversity, i.e., continuous and pulsed inflows of 3 day frequency. Despite differences in initial community structure on these three occasions, as well as the very different communities that arose between experimental designs, our findings showed that pulsed inflows altered plankton dynamics. In all cases, pulsed inflows resulted in greater zooplankton biomass. In most cases, pulsed inflows resulted in lower phytoplankton biomass and higher diversity. We speculate that greater phytoplankton diversity in the pulsed flow treatments favored selectively feeding zooplankton, whose better performance prevented higher accumulation of phytoplankton biomass.     

Diversity of parasitic fungi associated with phytoplankton in Hawaiian waters

Parasitic fungi infect large phytoplankton species in freshwater, playing a fundamental role in their host's health and habitat range. However, those associated with the marine phytoplankton community remain largely unknown. This study investigated the infectivity and biodiversity of phytoplanktonic parasitic fungi in three ecosystems of Hawaiian waters, with contrasting trophic statuses – oligotrophic (Waikiki Beach), mesotrophic (Kaneohe Bay) and eutrophic (Ala Wai Canal). The occurrence of fungal parasites (e.g. attached spores) was primarily associated with diatom cells (i.e. the most vulnerable populations) as well as various pelagic fungal forms (i.e. zoosporic, yeast and mycelial), suggesting the coexistence of different fungal lifestyles. Phylogenetic analysis categorized our retrieved fungal sequences from six clone libraries into five taxonomic orders that belonged to the phyla of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, along with culturable fungal endophytes and pathogens from diverse host resources. The great majority of these sequences (～93%) were associated with three taxonomic orders of Ascomycota (Pleosporales, Hypocreales and Saccharomycetales). There was greater infectivity and diversity of fungal species in eutrophic (Ala Wai) waters compared with oligotrophic (Waikiki Beach) waters, and both factors were significantly (P?相似文献   

Unveiling fungal zooflagellates as members of freshwater picoeukaryotes: evidence from a molecular diversity study in a deep meromictic lake

This study presents an original 18S rRNA PCR survey of the freshwater picoeukaryote community, and was designed to detect unidentified heterotrophic picoflagellates (size range 0.6-5 microm) which are prevalent throughout the year within the heterotrophic flagellate assemblage in Lake Pavin. Four clone libraries were constructed from samples collected in two contrasting zones in the lake. Computerized statistic tools have suggested that sequence retrieval was representative of the in situ picoplankton diversity. The two sampling zones exhibited similar diversity patterns but shared only about 5% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Phylogenetic analysis clustered our sequences into three taxonomic groups: Alveolates (30% of OTUs), Fungi (23%) and Cercozoa (19%). Fungi thus substantially contributed to the detected diversity, as was additionally supported by direct microscopic observations of fungal zoospores and sporangia. A large fraction of the sequences belonged to parasites, including Alveolate sequences affiliated to the genus Perkinsus known as zooparasites, and chytrids that include host-specific parasitic fungi of various freshwater phytoplankton species, primarily diatoms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed five novel clades that probably include typical freshwater environmental sequences. Overall, from the unsuspected fungal diversity unveiled, we think that fungal zooflagellates have been misidentified as phagotrophic nanoflagellates in previous studies. This is in agreement with a recent experimental demonstration that zoospore-producing fungi and parasitic activity may play an important role in aquatic food webs.     

Major differences of bacterial diversity and activity inside and outside of a natural iron-fertilized phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Ocean

One of the first comparisons of a natural iron fertilized bloom with a high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) site was undertaken during the Kerguelen ocean and plateau compared study (KEOPS) cruise. To understand better the bacteria–phytoplankton relationship in the context of natural iron fertilization, bacterial diversity and activity was investigated in the bloom and in the adjacent HNLC region by 16S rDNA clone libraries and by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Both libraries were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria , Gammaproteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroides group. Cluster analysis at 99% sequence similarity yielded several microdiverse clusters and revealed striking differences between the two libraries. In the bloom, the dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were the Roseobacter NAC11-7 cluster, SAR92 and a Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroides cluster related to the agg58 group, whereas in the HNLC region, SAR11, Roseobacter RCA and Polaribacter dominated. SSCP analysis of 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA revealed contrasting dynamics of three different Roseobacter OTUs. Roseobacter NAC11-7 and NAC11-6 had higher relative abundances and activities in the bloom compared with the HNLC site and NAC11-6 was only detected at the decline of the bloom concomitant with a shift in phytoplankton composi tion. In contrast, Roseobacter RCA was relatively abundant and active both inside and outside of the bloom. These results suggest that the different OTUs within the Roseobacter group represent functional groups that each play an important role in the cycling of carbon.     

Influence of nutrients, submerged macrophytes and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton biomass and diversity along a latitudinal gradient in Europe

In order to evaluate latitudinal differences in the relationship of phytoplankton biomass and diversity with environmental conditions in shallow lakes, we sampled 98 shallow lakes from three European regions: Denmark (DK), Belgium/The Netherlands (BNL) and southern Spain (SP). Phytoplankton biomass increased with total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and decreased with submerged macrophyte cover across the three regions. Generic richness was significantly negatively related to submerged macrophyte cover and related environmental variables. Zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratios were positively related to submerged macrophyte cover and negatively to phytoplankton generic richness in DK and BNL, suggesting that the low generic richness in lakes with submerged macrophytes was due to a higher zooplankton grazing pressure in these regions. In SP, phytoplankton generic richness was not influenced by zooplankton grazing pressure but related to conductivity. We observed no relationship between phytoplankton generic richness and TP concentration in any of the three regions. The three regions differed significantly with respect to mean local and regional generic richness, with BNL being more diverse than the other two regions. Our observations suggest that phytoplankton diversity in European shallow lakes is influenced by submerged macrophyte cover indirectly by modulating zooplankton grazing. This influence of submerged macrophytes and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton diversity decreases from north to south.     

MOLECULAR DIVERSITY OF MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES BASED ON KEY FUNCTIONAL GENES1

The phylogeny and diversity of two key functional genes were investigated as the basis for improved understanding of the community structure of natural phytoplankton assemblages in marine environments. New partial NR (encoding eukaryotic assimilatory nitrate reductase) and rbcL (encoding LSU of RUBISCO) sequences from 10 cultured phytoplankton strains are reported. Phytoplankton community composition from Monterey Bay (MB), a coastal upwelling site on the California coast, and the Western English Channel (EC), a North Atlantic spring bloom environment, was elucidated based on NR and rbcL sequences. Diatoms were by far the most frequently detected group in both environments, consistent with their importance as a major bloom‐forming group. Both NR and rbcL libraries contained sequences representing cosmopolitan types such as Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) W. W. Hay et H. P. Mohler, Phaeocystis, and Pseudo‐nitzschia. The NR and rbcL libraries also contained sequences from other chromophytic algal groups and the Dinophyceae (alveolates). Sequences showing identity with key bloom‐forming organisms including E. huxleyi, Phaeocystis pouchetii (Har.) Lagerh., Pseudo‐nitzschia sp., and Thalassiosira sp. in the rbcL libraries confirm previous studies from these environments based on traditional approaches. Diversity/pattern analyses detected significant compositional differences among the libraries, which were consistent with patterns identified by phylogenetic analysis, but these patterns were not strongly correlated with obvious environmental variables such as temperature and nitrate concentration. Many new and divergent NR and rbcL sequences are reported, but the extent to which they represent unknown types cannot be determined until greater effort is made to sequence the existing culture collections.     

钦州湾浮游植物周年生态特征

2008-2009年对钦州湾及附近海域进行4个季节航次的浮游植物调查,共鉴定出浮游植物131种,其中硅藻种数最多,达101种,占浮游植物总种数的77.1%;甲藻次之,23种;其他种类3门7种.浮游植物以广温性种和暖水性种为主.总种类数的季节变化与硅藻种类数均为春季最低,夏、秋、冬依次增加,冬季最高.各季节浮游植物丰度为232.28×10⁴～977.0×10⁴ cell·m^-3,平均为558.57×10⁴ cell·m^-3;各季节浮游植物丰度呈现夏、春、冬和秋依次减少的趋势;各区域浮游植物丰度四季均为由内湾至外湾先升高、到湾外逐渐降低的趋势,但在夏季其高丰度区由外湾南移至湾口附近.浮游植物群落的Shannon多样性指数和均匀度指数平均值分别为3.18和0.63,多样性水平较高.浮游植物丰度与温度、盐度、溶解性无机氮及活性磷酸盐的相关关系因季节而变化.