Effects of spectral light quality on the growth, productivity, and elemental ratios in differently pigmented marine phytoplankton species

Effects of light quality on the growth, productivity, and cellular composition of three uniquely pigmented marine phytoplankton species were characterized. To accomplish this, cultures of Prochlorococcus marinus, Synechococcus sp., and Thalassiosira weissflogii were grown under three commercially available LEDs as well as a fluorescent growth light. Despite having equal photosynthetically active radiation, light quality and thus photosynthetically usable radiation differed between the treatments. Growth was unaffected in all species tested, yet primary productivity was affected in P. marinus and Synechococcus sp. All species regulated cellular carbon and nitrogen quotas as a direct response to light spectra, while cellular chlorophyll a was regulated in Synechococcus sp. and T. weissflogii only. Analysis of pigment ratios revealed minor acclimations in some of the cultures and photophysiological analysis indicated changes in the photoacclimation state between different light environments. These results show that while the species used in our experiment are able to maintain growth when exposed to lights of varying quality, underlying cellular metabolism and biochemistry can be affected. The data presented here highlight the importance of carefully choosing a lighting environment with a defined spectral quality when designing laboratory-based experiments or setting up bioreactors for biomass generation.HighlightWith light emitting diode-based growth lights becoming available to researchers, it is important to consider the spectral quality of light when designing experiments to understand responses of phytoplankton to environmental conditions.

Effect of Lachancea thermotolerans on the Formation of Polymeric Pigments during Sequential Fermentation with Schizosaccharosmyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Anthocyanins in red grape musts may evolve during the winemaking process and wine aging for several different reasons; colour stability and evolution is a complex process that may depend on grape variety, winemaking technology, fermentative yeast selection, co-pigmentation phenomena and polymerization. The condensation of flavanols with anthocyanins may occur either with the flavylium ion or with the hemiacetal formation in order to produce oligomers and polymers. The kinetics of the reaction are enhanced by the presence of metabolic acetaldehyde, promoting the formation of pyranoanthocyanin-type dimers or flavanol-ethyl-anthocyanin structures. The experimental design carried out using white must corrected with the addition of malvidin-3-O-glucoside and flavanols, suggests that non-Saccharomyces yeasts are able to provide increased levels of colour intensity and larger polymeric pigment ratios and polymerization indexes. The selection of non-Saccharomyces genera, in particular Lachancea thermotolerans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe in sequential fermentation, have provided experimental wines with increased fruity esters, as well as producing wines with potential pigment compositions, even though there is an important reduction of total anthocyanins.

13 C and 15 N assimilation and organic matter translocation by the endolithic community in the massive coral Porites lutea

Corals evolved by establishing symbiotic relationships with various microorganisms (the zooxanthellae, filamentous algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses), forming the ‘coral holobiont'. Among them, the endolithic community is the least studied. Its main function was considered to be translocation of photo-assimilates to the coral host, particularly during bleaching. Here, we hypothesize that (i) endolithic algae may show similar primary production rates in healthy or bleached corals by changing their pigment ratios, and therefore that similar production and translocation of organic matter may occur at both conditions and (ii) diazotrophs are components of the endolithic community; therefore, N 2 fixation and translocation of organic nitrogen may occur. We tested these hypotheses in incubation of Porites lutea with 13 C and 15 N tracers to measure primary production and N 2 fixation in coral tissues and endoliths. Assimilation of the 13 C atom (%) was observed in healthy and bleached corals when the tracer was injected in the endolithic band, showing translocation in both conditions. N 2 fixation was found in coral tissues and endolithic communities with translocation of organic nitrogen. Thus, the endolithic community plays an important role in supporting the C and N metabolism of the holobiont, which may be crucial under changing environmental conditions.

Meso- and macro-zooplankton community structure of the Amundsen Sea Polynya, Antarctica (Summer 2010–2011)

The Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP) has, on average, the highest productivity per unit area in Antarctic waters. To investigate community structure and the role that zooplankton may play in utilizing this productivity, animals were collected at six stations inside and outside the ASP using paired “day-night” tows with a 1 m2 MOCNESS. Stations were selected according to productivity based on satellite imagery, distance from the ice edge, and depth of the water column. Depths sampled were stratified from the surface to ∼ 50–100 m above the seafloor. Macrozooplankton were also collected at four stations located in different parts of the ASP using a 2 m2 Metro Net for krill surface trawls (0–120 m). The most abundant groups of zooplankton were copepods, ostracods, and euphausiids. Zooplankton biovolume (0.001 to 1.22 ml m-3) and abundance (0.21 to 97.5 individuals m-3) varied throughout all depth levels, with a midsurface maximum trend at ∼ 60–100 m. A segregation of increasing zooplankton trophic position with depth was observed in the MOCNESS tows. In general, zooplankton abundance was low above the mixed layer depth, a result attributed to a thick layer of the unpalatable colonial haptophyte, Phaeocystis antarctica. Abundances of the ice krill, Euphausia crystallarophias, however, were highest near the edge of the ice sheet within the ASP and larvae:adult ratios correlated with temperature above a depth of 60 m. Total zooplankton abundance correlated positively with chlorophyll a above 150 m, but negative correlations observed for biovolume vs. the proportion of P. antarctica in the phytoplankton estimated from pigment ratios (19’hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin:fucoxanthin) again pointed to avoidance of P. antarctica. Quantifying zooplankton community structure, abundance, and biovolume (biomass) in this highly productive polynya helps shed light on how carbon may be transferred to higher trophic levels and to depth in a region undergoing rapid warming.

Effects of iron availability on pigment signature and biogenic silica production in the coastal diatom Chaetoceros gracilis

The effects of iron availability on pigment signature and biogenic silica production were investigated for the first time in the coastal diatom Chaetoceros gracilis (isolated from the SW coast of the Bay of Bengal, India). Results revealed that increase in iron supply considerably increases chlorophyll a based specific growth rates, whereas, it decreases the values of diatoxanthin index and photoprotective to light harvesting pigment ratios. It is likely that, under iron stress C. gracilis activated a strong photoprotection mechanism by maximising the conversion of diadinoxanthin to diatoxanthin and by increasing overall amount of photoprotective pigments relative to light harvesting pigments. The xanthophyll cycle comprising of diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin seems to be the principal photoprotective mechanism in C. gracilis and is consistent with some earlier studies. It is suggested that under iron limited conditions the diatoxanthin index and the ratio of photoprotective to light harvesting pigments can be used as physiological markers for iron stress in C. gracilis. The ratios of biogenic silica to chlorophyll a were considerably decreased with increasing iron supply indicating the possibility of reduced cellular silica content under iron enriched conditions; however, supplementary information is required to confirm this observation.

Chlorophylls and Phycoerythrins as Markers of Environmental Forcings Including Cyclone Erica Effect (March 2003) on Phytoplankton in the Southwest Lagoon of New Caledonia and Oceanic Adjacent Area

Spatio-temporal variations of chlorophylls and phycoerythrins, inferred by spectrofluorometric methods, were studied from April 2002 to June 2003 in the southwest lagoon and oceanic waters of New Caledonia. Trade winds blew 75% of the time and appeared as the main factor influencing surface Tchla (sum of monovinyl- and divinyl-chlorophyll a) variations in the ocean, near the barrier reef. Lagoon and oceanic waters differed in the composition of picoplanktonic cyanobacteria with a relative dominance of Prochlorococcus and high-phycourobilin Synechococcus in the ocean, and a relative dominance of high-phycoerythrobilin Synechococcus in the lagoon. Main pigment variations in the lagoon were associated with cyclone Erica in March 2003 and showed a 5-6 fold Tchla increase around Nouméa. The cyclone stimulated mainly diatom growth as indicated by the high chlorophyll (c1+c2)/chlorophyll a ratio and by the lowest values for the other pigment ratios. The relative importance of divinyl-chlorophyll a concentration and fluorescence excitation spectra of phycoerythrins appeared as useful tools for characterizing lagoon-ocean exchanges.