Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific
<p>Light is considered a strong controlling factor of nitrification rates in the surface ocean. Previous work has shown that ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation may be inhibited by high light levels, yet active nitrification has been measured in the sunlit surface ocean. While it is known...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/1985/2024/bg-21-1985-2024.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797194129962172416 |
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| author | N. M. Travis N. M. Travis C. L. Kelly C. L. Kelly K. L. Casciotti K. L. Casciotti |
| author_facet | N. M. Travis N. M. Travis C. L. Kelly C. L. Kelly K. L. Casciotti K. L. Casciotti |
| author_sort | N. M. Travis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Light is considered a strong controlling factor of nitrification rates in the surface ocean. Previous work has shown that ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation may be inhibited by high light levels, yet active nitrification has been measured in the sunlit surface ocean. While it is known that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) influences microbial nitrite production and consumption, the level of inhibition of nitrification is variable across datasets. Additionally, phytoplankton have light-dependent mechanisms for nitrite production and consumption that co-occur with nitrification around the depths of the primary nitrite maximum (PNM). In this work, we experimentally determined the direct influence of light level on net nitrite production, including all major nitrite cycling processes (ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation, nitrate reduction and nitrite uptake) in microbial communities collected from the base of the euphotic zone. We found that although ammonia oxidation was inhibited at the depth of the PNM and was further inhibited by increasing light at all stations, it remained the dominant nitrite production process at most stations and treatments, even up to 25 % surface PAR. Nitrate addition did not enhance ammonia oxidation in our experiments but may have increased nitrate and nitrite uptake at a coastal station. In contrast to ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation was not clearly inhibited by light and sometimes even increased at higher light levels. Thus, accumulation of nitrite at the PNM may be modulated by changes in light, but light perturbations did not exclude nitrification from the surface ocean. Nitrite uptake and nitrate reduction were both enhanced in high-light treatments relative to low light and in some cases showed high rates in the dark. Overall, net nitrite production rates of PNM communities were highest in the dark treatments.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T05:51:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9184e3b61cf94eb6859496d53f65f02b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T05:51:23Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-9184e3b61cf94eb6859496d53f65f02b2024-04-23T11:18:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892024-04-01211985200410.5194/bg-21-1985-2024Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North PacificN. M. Travis0N. M. Travis1C. L. Kelly2C. L. Kelly3K. L. Casciotti4K. L. Casciotti5Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USApresent address: Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USADepartment of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USApresent address: Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USADepartment of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USAOceans Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA<p>Light is considered a strong controlling factor of nitrification rates in the surface ocean. Previous work has shown that ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation may be inhibited by high light levels, yet active nitrification has been measured in the sunlit surface ocean. While it is known that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) influences microbial nitrite production and consumption, the level of inhibition of nitrification is variable across datasets. Additionally, phytoplankton have light-dependent mechanisms for nitrite production and consumption that co-occur with nitrification around the depths of the primary nitrite maximum (PNM). In this work, we experimentally determined the direct influence of light level on net nitrite production, including all major nitrite cycling processes (ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation, nitrate reduction and nitrite uptake) in microbial communities collected from the base of the euphotic zone. We found that although ammonia oxidation was inhibited at the depth of the PNM and was further inhibited by increasing light at all stations, it remained the dominant nitrite production process at most stations and treatments, even up to 25 % surface PAR. Nitrate addition did not enhance ammonia oxidation in our experiments but may have increased nitrate and nitrite uptake at a coastal station. In contrast to ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation was not clearly inhibited by light and sometimes even increased at higher light levels. Thus, accumulation of nitrite at the PNM may be modulated by changes in light, but light perturbations did not exclude nitrification from the surface ocean. Nitrite uptake and nitrate reduction were both enhanced in high-light treatments relative to low light and in some cases showed high rates in the dark. Overall, net nitrite production rates of PNM communities were highest in the dark treatments.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/1985/2024/bg-21-1985-2024.pdf |
| spellingShingle | N. M. Travis N. M. Travis C. L. Kelly C. L. Kelly K. L. Casciotti K. L. Casciotti Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific Biogeosciences |
| title | Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific |
| title_full | Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific |
| title_fullStr | Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific |
| title_short | Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific |
| title_sort | testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical north pacific |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/1985/2024/bg-21-1985-2024.pdf |
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