Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities
© Inter-Research 2020. Microalgae form the base of the Antarctic marine food web and through their conversion of nutrients into biomass, are the principal source of energy for higher trophic levels. Environmental conditions strongly influence microalgal photophysiology, biochemistry and macromol ecu...
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ftunivtsydney:oai:opus.lib.uts.edu.au:10453/145920 2023-05-15T13:52:42+02:00 Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities Sheehan, CE Nielsen, DA Petrou, K 2021-02-08T02:42:42Z application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145920 English eng INTER-RESEARCH Marine Ecology Progress Series 10.3354/meps13310 Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2020, 640, pp. 45-61 0171-8630 1616-1599 http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145920 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess 0405 Oceanography 0602 Ecology 0608 Zoology Marine Biology & Hydrobiology Journal Article 2021 ftunivtsydney 2022-03-13T13:37:56Z © Inter-Research 2020. Microalgae form the base of the Antarctic marine food web and through their conversion of nutrients into biomass, are the principal source of energy for higher trophic levels. Environmental conditions strongly influence microalgal photophysiology, biochemistry and macromol ecular composition, which has implications for the quality and quantity of energy available for transfer through the food web. Here we assessed the photosynthetic performance, biochemical (dimethylsulfoniopropionate; DMSP) and macromolecular composition (lipids, carbohydrates and proteins) of selected diatoms sampled from 2 distinct Antarctic marine environments, namely the late spring bottom sea ice (sympagic) and near-shore ice-free coastal waters (pelagic). The photosynthetic efficiency and photoprotective capacity of the communities differed significantly, and chlorophyll a-specific gross primary productivity was 4-fold greater in the pelagic community. At the community level, pelagic microalgae had the highest DMSP content (1.4 nmol [μg chl a]-1) and the highest potential rates of DMSP lyase activity (0.87 nmol [μg chl a]-1 h-1). Comparisons within each community showed taxon-specific differences in macromolecular composition, which were strongest amongst the sympagic diatoms. Comparing across communities, pelagic diatoms had lower lipid to protein ratios, whereas sympagic diatoms were lipid rich and had significantly higher content of unsaturated fatty acids. These findings show variability in the physiology and nutritional quality of the base of the food web depending on habitat and taxonomic group and emphasise the importance of the sympagic community for providing a concentrated source of high-energy compounds during the pulsed productivity events for key grazers such as krill to survive through long dark winters. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Sea ice University of Technology Sydney: OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars Antarctic The Antarctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Technology Sydney: OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtsydney |
language |
English |
topic |
0405 Oceanography 0602 Ecology 0608 Zoology Marine Biology & Hydrobiology |
spellingShingle |
0405 Oceanography 0602 Ecology 0608 Zoology Marine Biology & Hydrobiology Sheehan, CE Nielsen, DA Petrou, K Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
topic_facet |
0405 Oceanography 0602 Ecology 0608 Zoology Marine Biology & Hydrobiology |
description |
© Inter-Research 2020. Microalgae form the base of the Antarctic marine food web and through their conversion of nutrients into biomass, are the principal source of energy for higher trophic levels. Environmental conditions strongly influence microalgal photophysiology, biochemistry and macromol ecular composition, which has implications for the quality and quantity of energy available for transfer through the food web. Here we assessed the photosynthetic performance, biochemical (dimethylsulfoniopropionate; DMSP) and macromolecular composition (lipids, carbohydrates and proteins) of selected diatoms sampled from 2 distinct Antarctic marine environments, namely the late spring bottom sea ice (sympagic) and near-shore ice-free coastal waters (pelagic). The photosynthetic efficiency and photoprotective capacity of the communities differed significantly, and chlorophyll a-specific gross primary productivity was 4-fold greater in the pelagic community. At the community level, pelagic microalgae had the highest DMSP content (1.4 nmol [μg chl a]-1) and the highest potential rates of DMSP lyase activity (0.87 nmol [μg chl a]-1 h-1). Comparisons within each community showed taxon-specific differences in macromolecular composition, which were strongest amongst the sympagic diatoms. Comparing across communities, pelagic diatoms had lower lipid to protein ratios, whereas sympagic diatoms were lipid rich and had significantly higher content of unsaturated fatty acids. These findings show variability in the physiology and nutritional quality of the base of the food web depending on habitat and taxonomic group and emphasise the importance of the sympagic community for providing a concentrated source of high-energy compounds during the pulsed productivity events for key grazers such as krill to survive through long dark winters. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sheehan, CE Nielsen, DA Petrou, K |
author_facet |
Sheehan, CE Nielsen, DA Petrou, K |
author_sort |
Sheehan, CE |
title |
Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
title_short |
Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
title_full |
Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
title_fullStr |
Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
title_full_unstemmed |
Macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
title_sort |
macromolecular composition, productivity and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in antarctic pelagic and sympagic microalgal communities |
publisher |
INTER-RESEARCH |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145920 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Sea ice |
op_relation |
Marine Ecology Progress Series 10.3354/meps13310 Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2020, 640, pp. 45-61 0171-8630 1616-1599 http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145920 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1766257161474670592 |