Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling
Artificial upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the sun-lit surface to boost fisheries or carbon sequestration. Deep water sources under consideration range widely in inorganic silicon (Si) relative to nitrogen (N). Yet, little is known about how such differences in nutrient composition may...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015188/full |
| _version_ | 1797959691304697856 |
|---|---|
| author | Silvan Urs Goldenberg Jan Taucher Mar Fernández-Méndez Mar Fernández-Méndez Andrea Ludwig Javier Arístegui Moritz Baumann Joaquin Ortiz Annegret Stuhr Ulf Riebesell |
| author_facet | Silvan Urs Goldenberg Jan Taucher Mar Fernández-Méndez Mar Fernández-Méndez Andrea Ludwig Javier Arístegui Moritz Baumann Joaquin Ortiz Annegret Stuhr Ulf Riebesell |
| author_sort | Silvan Urs Goldenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Artificial upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the sun-lit surface to boost fisheries or carbon sequestration. Deep water sources under consideration range widely in inorganic silicon (Si) relative to nitrogen (N). Yet, little is known about how such differences in nutrient composition may influence the effectiveness of the fertilization. Si is essential primarily for diatoms that may increase food web and export efficiency via their large size and ballasting mineral shells, respectively. With a month-long mesocosm study in the subtropical North Atlantic, we tested the biological response to artificial upwelling with varying Si:N ratios (0.07-1.33). Community biomass increased 10-fold across all mesocosms, indicating that basic bloom dynamics were upheld despite the wide range in nutrient composition. Key properties of these blooms, however, were influenced by Si. Photosynthetic capacity and nutrient-use efficiency doubled from Si-poor to Si-rich upwelling, leading to C:N ratios as high as 17, well beyond Redfield. Si-rich upwelling also resulted in 6-fold higher diatom abundance and mineralized Si and a corresponding shift from smaller towards larger phytoplankton. The pronounced change in both plankton quantity (biomass) and quality (C:N ratio, size and mineral ballast) for trophic transfer and export underlines the pivotal role of Si in shaping the response of oligotrophic regions to upwelled nutrients. Our findings indicate a benefit of active Si management during artificial upwelling with the potential to optimize fisheries production and CO2 removal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:35:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d42a81717dd643f5bcb84a689b2815cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:35:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d42a81717dd643f5bcb84a689b2815cd2023-01-06T22:29:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-11-01910.3389/fmars.2022.10151881015188Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwellingSilvan Urs Goldenberg0Jan Taucher1Mar Fernández-Méndez2Mar Fernández-Méndez3Andrea Ludwig4Javier Arístegui5Moritz Baumann6Joaquin Ortiz7Annegret Stuhr8Ulf Riebesell9Marine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyPolar Biological Oceanography Section, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyInstituto de Oceanografía y Cambio Global, IOCAG, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyMarine Biogeochemistry, Biological Oceanography, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, GermanyArtificial upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the sun-lit surface to boost fisheries or carbon sequestration. Deep water sources under consideration range widely in inorganic silicon (Si) relative to nitrogen (N). Yet, little is known about how such differences in nutrient composition may influence the effectiveness of the fertilization. Si is essential primarily for diatoms that may increase food web and export efficiency via their large size and ballasting mineral shells, respectively. With a month-long mesocosm study in the subtropical North Atlantic, we tested the biological response to artificial upwelling with varying Si:N ratios (0.07-1.33). Community biomass increased 10-fold across all mesocosms, indicating that basic bloom dynamics were upheld despite the wide range in nutrient composition. Key properties of these blooms, however, were influenced by Si. Photosynthetic capacity and nutrient-use efficiency doubled from Si-poor to Si-rich upwelling, leading to C:N ratios as high as 17, well beyond Redfield. Si-rich upwelling also resulted in 6-fold higher diatom abundance and mineralized Si and a corresponding shift from smaller towards larger phytoplankton. The pronounced change in both plankton quantity (biomass) and quality (C:N ratio, size and mineral ballast) for trophic transfer and export underlines the pivotal role of Si in shaping the response of oligotrophic regions to upwelled nutrients. Our findings indicate a benefit of active Si management during artificial upwelling with the potential to optimize fisheries production and CO2 removal.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015188/fullocean fertilizationdiatomsstoichiometrysilicic acidecosystem-based aquaculturenegative emission technology |
| spellingShingle | Silvan Urs Goldenberg Jan Taucher Mar Fernández-Méndez Mar Fernández-Méndez Andrea Ludwig Javier Arístegui Moritz Baumann Joaquin Ortiz Annegret Stuhr Ulf Riebesell Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling Frontiers in Marine Science ocean fertilization diatoms stoichiometry silicic acid ecosystem-based aquaculture negative emission technology |
| title | Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| title_full | Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| title_fullStr | Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| title_short | Nutrient composition (Si:N) as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| title_sort | nutrient composition si n as driver of plankton communities during artificial upwelling |
| topic | ocean fertilization diatoms stoichiometry silicic acid ecosystem-based aquaculture negative emission technology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015188/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT silvanursgoldenberg nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT jantaucher nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT marfernandezmendez nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT marfernandezmendez nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT andrealudwig nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT javieraristegui nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT moritzbaumann nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT joaquinortiz nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT annegretstuhr nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling AT ulfriebesell nutrientcompositionsinasdriverofplanktoncommunitiesduringartificialupwelling |