Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients
We utilized the trait-based approach in a novel way to examine how specific phytoplankton traits are related to physical features connected to global change, water quality features connected to catchment change, and nutrient availability connected to nutrient loading. For the analyses, we used summe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/12/2477 |
| _version_ | 1797502374224330752 |
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| author | Sirpa Lehtinen Sanna Suikkanen Heidi Hällfors Jarno Tuimala Harri Kuosa |
| author_facet | Sirpa Lehtinen Sanna Suikkanen Heidi Hällfors Jarno Tuimala Harri Kuosa |
| author_sort | Sirpa Lehtinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We utilized the trait-based approach in a novel way to examine how specific phytoplankton traits are related to physical features connected to global change, water quality features connected to catchment change, and nutrient availability connected to nutrient loading. For the analyses, we used summertime monitoring data originating from the coastal northern Baltic Sea and generalized additive mixed modeling (GAMM). Of the physical features connected to global climate change, temperature was the most important affecting several studied traits. Nitrogen-fixing, buoyant, non-motile, and autotrophic phytoplankton, as well as harmful cyanobacteria, benefited from a higher temperature. Salinity and stratification did not have clear effects on the traits. Water transparency, which in the Baltic Sea is connected to catchment change, had a mostly negative relation to the studied traits. Harmfulness was negatively correlated with transparency, while the share of non-harmful and large-sized phytoplankton was positively related to it. We used nutrient loading source type and total phosphorus (TP) as proxies for nutrient availability connected to anthropogenic eutrophication. The nutrient loading source type did not relate to any of the traits. Our result showing that N-fixing was not related to TP is discussed. The regionality analysis demonstrated that traits should be calculated in both absolute terms (biomass) and proportions (share of total biomass) to get a better view of community changes and to potentially supplement the environmental status assessments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:32:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-44a9934598d14681a5d8abf3ae3f691c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:32:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-44a9934598d14681a5d8abf3ae3f691c2023-11-23T09:38:36ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072021-11-01912247710.3390/microorganisms9122477Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental GradientsSirpa Lehtinen0Sanna Suikkanen1Heidi Hällfors2Jarno Tuimala3Harri Kuosa4Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), 00790 Helsinki, FinlandMarine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), 00790 Helsinki, FinlandMarine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), 00790 Helsinki, FinlandIndependent Researcher, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandMarine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), 00790 Helsinki, FinlandWe utilized the trait-based approach in a novel way to examine how specific phytoplankton traits are related to physical features connected to global change, water quality features connected to catchment change, and nutrient availability connected to nutrient loading. For the analyses, we used summertime monitoring data originating from the coastal northern Baltic Sea and generalized additive mixed modeling (GAMM). Of the physical features connected to global climate change, temperature was the most important affecting several studied traits. Nitrogen-fixing, buoyant, non-motile, and autotrophic phytoplankton, as well as harmful cyanobacteria, benefited from a higher temperature. Salinity and stratification did not have clear effects on the traits. Water transparency, which in the Baltic Sea is connected to catchment change, had a mostly negative relation to the studied traits. Harmfulness was negatively correlated with transparency, while the share of non-harmful and large-sized phytoplankton was positively related to it. We used nutrient loading source type and total phosphorus (TP) as proxies for nutrient availability connected to anthropogenic eutrophication. The nutrient loading source type did not relate to any of the traits. Our result showing that N-fixing was not related to TP is discussed. The regionality analysis demonstrated that traits should be calculated in both absolute terms (biomass) and proportions (share of total biomass) to get a better view of community changes and to potentially supplement the environmental status assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/12/2477morpho-functional traitsphytoplanktoneutrophicationclimate changenitrogen-fixationmixotrophy |
| spellingShingle | Sirpa Lehtinen Sanna Suikkanen Heidi Hällfors Jarno Tuimala Harri Kuosa Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients Microorganisms morpho-functional traits phytoplankton eutrophication climate change nitrogen-fixation mixotrophy |
| title | Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients |
| title_full | Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients |
| title_fullStr | Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients |
| title_short | Phytoplankton Morpho-Functional Trait Variability along Coastal Environmental Gradients |
| title_sort | phytoplankton morpho functional trait variability along coastal environmental gradients |
| topic | morpho-functional traits phytoplankton eutrophication climate change nitrogen-fixation mixotrophy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/12/2477 |
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