High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay
Cryptophyte algae are globally distributed photosynthetic flagellates found in freshwater, estuarine, and neritic ecosystems. While cryptophytes can be highly abundant and are consumed by a wide variety of protistan predators, few studies have sought to quantify in situ grazing rates on their popula...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00241/full |
| _version_ | 1818772505216679936 |
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| author | Matthew D. Johnson David J. Beaudoin Miguel J. Frada Emily F. Brownlee Diane K. Stoecker |
| author_facet | Matthew D. Johnson David J. Beaudoin Miguel J. Frada Emily F. Brownlee Diane K. Stoecker |
| author_sort | Matthew D. Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cryptophyte algae are globally distributed photosynthetic flagellates found in freshwater, estuarine, and neritic ecosystems. While cryptophytes can be highly abundant and are consumed by a wide variety of protistan predators, few studies have sought to quantify in situ grazing rates on their populations. Here we show that autumnal grazing rates on in situ communities of cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay are high throughout the system, while growth rates, particularly in the lower bay, were low. Analysis of the genetic diversity of cryptophyte populations within dilution experiments suggests that microzooplankton may be selectively grazing the fastest-growing members of the population, which were generally Teleaulax spp. We also demonstrate that potential grazing rates of ciliates and dinoflagellates on fluorescently labeled (FL) Rhodomonas salina, Storeatula major, and Teleaulax amphioxeia can be high (up to 149 prey predator−1 d−1), and that a Gyrodinium sp. and Mesodinium rubrum could be selective grazers. Potential grazing was highest for heterotrophic dinoflagellates, but due to its abundance, M. rubrum also had a high overall impact. This study reveals that cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay can experience extremely high grazing pressure from phagotrophic protists, and that this grazing likely shapes their community diversity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T10:10:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-304a5ad0d1824cf99620de1962dd8baa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T10:10:25Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-304a5ad0d1824cf99620de1962dd8baa2022-12-21T21:11:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452018-07-01510.3389/fmars.2018.00241378975High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake BayMatthew D. Johnson0David J. Beaudoin1Miguel J. Frada2Emily F. Brownlee3Diane K. Stoecker4Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesInteruniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eilat, IsraelHorn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, United StatesHorn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, United StatesCryptophyte algae are globally distributed photosynthetic flagellates found in freshwater, estuarine, and neritic ecosystems. While cryptophytes can be highly abundant and are consumed by a wide variety of protistan predators, few studies have sought to quantify in situ grazing rates on their populations. Here we show that autumnal grazing rates on in situ communities of cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay are high throughout the system, while growth rates, particularly in the lower bay, were low. Analysis of the genetic diversity of cryptophyte populations within dilution experiments suggests that microzooplankton may be selectively grazing the fastest-growing members of the population, which were generally Teleaulax spp. We also demonstrate that potential grazing rates of ciliates and dinoflagellates on fluorescently labeled (FL) Rhodomonas salina, Storeatula major, and Teleaulax amphioxeia can be high (up to 149 prey predator−1 d−1), and that a Gyrodinium sp. and Mesodinium rubrum could be selective grazers. Potential grazing was highest for heterotrophic dinoflagellates, but due to its abundance, M. rubrum also had a high overall impact. This study reveals that cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay can experience extremely high grazing pressure from phagotrophic protists, and that this grazing likely shapes their community diversity.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00241/fullcryptophytesmixotrophygrazingChesapeake BaydinoflagellatesMesodinium rubrum |
| spellingShingle | Matthew D. Johnson David J. Beaudoin Miguel J. Frada Emily F. Brownlee Diane K. Stoecker High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay Frontiers in Marine Science cryptophytes mixotrophy grazing Chesapeake Bay dinoflagellates Mesodinium rubrum |
| title | High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay |
| title_full | High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay |
| title_fullStr | High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay |
| title_short | High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay |
| title_sort | high grazing rates on cryptophyte algae in chesapeake bay |
| topic | cryptophytes mixotrophy grazing Chesapeake Bay dinoflagellates Mesodinium rubrum |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00241/full |
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