Experimental considerations of acute heat stress assays to quantify coral thermal tolerance

Understanding the distribution and abundance of heat tolerant corals across seascapes is imperative for predicting responses to climate change and to support novel management actions. Thermal tolerance is variable in corals and intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of tolerance are not well understood. Traditional experimental evaluations of coral heat and bleaching tolerance typically involve ramp-and-hold experiments run across days to weeks within aquarium facilities with limits to colony replication. Field-based acute heat stress assays have emerged as an alternative experimental approach to rapidly quantify heat tolerance in many samples yet the role of key methodological considerations on the stress response measured remains unresolved. Here, we quantify the effects of coral fragment size, sampling time point, and physiological measures on the acute heat stress response in adult corals. The effect of fragment size differed between species (Acropora tenuis and Pocillopora damicornis). Most physiological parameters measured here declined over time (tissue colour, chlorophyll-a and protein content) from the onset of heating, with the exception of maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) which was surprisingly stable over this time scale. Based on our experiments, we identified photosynthetic efficiency, tissue colour change, and host-specific assays such as catalase activity as key physiological measures for rapid quantification of thermal tolerance. We recommend that future applications of acute heat stress assays include larger fragments (> 9 cm2) where possible and sample between 10 and 24 h after the end of heat stress. A validated high-throughput experimental approach combined with cost-effective genomic and physiological measurements underpins the development of markers and maps of heat tolerance across seascapes and ocean warming scenarios

Phytoplankton responses and associated carbon cycling during shipboard carbonate chemistry manipulation experiments conducted around Northwest European shelf seas

The ongoing oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is significantly altering the carbonate chemistry of seawater, a phenomenon referred to as ocean acidification. Experimental manipulations have been increasingly used to gauge how continued ocean acidification will potentially impact marine ecosystems and their associated biogeochemical cycles in the future; however, results amongst studies, particularly when performed on natural communities, are highly variable, which in part likely reflects inconsistencies in experimental approach. To investigate the potential for identification of more generic responses and greater experimentally reproducibility, we devised and implemented a series of highly replicated (n = 8), short term (2–4 days) multi-level (≥ 4 conditions) carbonate chemistry/nutrient manipulation experiments on a range of natural microbial communities sampled in Northwest European shelf seas. Carbonate chemistry manipulations and resulting biological responses were found to be highly reproducible within individual experiments and to a lesser extent between geographically different experiments. Statistically robust reproducible physiological responses of phytoplankton to increasing pCO2, characterized by a suppression of net growth for small sized cells (< 10 µm), were observed in the majority of the experiments, irrespective of nutrient status. Remaining between-experiment variability was potentially linked to initial community structure and/or other site-specific environmental factors. Analysis of carbon cycling within the experiments revealed the expected increased sensitivity of carbonate chemistry to biological processes at higher pCO2 and hence lower buffer capacity. The results thus emphasize how biological-chemical feedbacks may be altered in the future ocean

20 years of the Atlantic Meridional Transect - AMT

The AMT (www.amt-uk.org) is a multidisciplinary programme which undertakes biological, chemical, and physical oceanographic research during an annual voyage between the UK and a destination in the South Atlantic such as the Falkland Islands, South Africa, or Chile. This transect of >12,000 km crosses a range of ecosystems from subpolar to tropical, from euphotic shelf seas and upwelling systems, to oligotrophic mid-ocean gyres. The year 2015 has seen two milestones in the history of the AMT: the achievement of 20 years of this unique ocean going programme and the departure of the 25th cruise on the 15th of September. Both of these events were celebrated in June this year with an open science conference hosted by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and will be further documented in a special issue of Progress in Oceanography which is planned for publication in 2016. Since 1995, the 25 research cruises have involved 242 sea-going scientists from 66 institutes representing 22 countries. AMT was designed from the outset to be a collaborative programme. It was originally conceived by Jim Aiken, Patrick Holligan, Roger Harris, and Dave Robins with Chuck McClain and Chuck Trees at NASA to test and ground truth satellite algorithms of ocean color. The opportunities offered by this initiative meant that this series of repeated biannual cruises rapidly developed into a coordinated study of ocean biodiversity, biogeochemistry, and ocean/atmosphere interactions

Variability of phytoplankton production rates in the Atlantic Ocean as observed using the Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer

This thesis examines some aspects of in situ phytoplankton physiology and subsequent production rates within the Atlantic Ocean, as observed using a novel instrument, the Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer (FRRF). The underlying theory and use of this instrument is described in detail. High resolution FRRF data collection was performed during three oceanographic cruises: RV Pelagia, March 1998, RRS James Clark Ross, May-June 1998 and RRS Challenger, August 1999. These data observe characteristics of phytoplankton physiology and, therefore, production, over daily (diel), small (turbulent) and broad (seasonal) scales. The sampling sites for all cruises were chosen within a variety of hydrographic regimes to further assess the light-nutrient dependencies of this variability. Phytoplankton physiology is described by the functional absorption cross section (σPSII) and the quantum yield of photochemistry (Fv/Fm which relate to the rate at which photosystem II (PSII) saturates with light and the proportion of functional PSII reaction centres, respectively. Changes in both σPSII and Fv/Fm are most evident at the diel scale. σPSII correlates with corresponding changes in PSII pigments indicating non-photochemical quenching of excess solar energy as part of a diel rhythm in cellular constituents. A novel calculation for the number of in situ PSII reaction centres (nPSII), based on FRRF measurements, is described and tested and shows similar diel variability. Smaller-scale variations in σPSII are also observed continually throughout the diel period apparently as an attempt to balance the distribution of energy between PSII and PSI and, therefore, maintain high rates of photosynthesis. Such smaller-scale processes are most obvious in low nutrient (oligotrophic) waters where hydrographic variability and consequently new nutrient input, remains relatively low. FRRF estimates of production were most related to nutrient conditions in these oligotrophic waters. Conversely, production correlated with light in waters where nutrients were in abundance. FRRF production estimates compared well with corresponding in situ gross O2 measurements but were typically a factor of 3-4 higher than 14C production estimates. This difference can be accounted as the stochiometry between O2 evolution and carbon uptake for photosynthesis but may also represent the limitations associated with the calculation of production from one or both techniques. These limitations are discussed as a premise for further work

Performance of Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry based estimates of primary productivity in coastal waters

Capturing the variability of primary productivity in highly dynamic coastal ecosystems remains a major challenge to marine scientists. To test the suitability of Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) for rapid assessment of primary productivity in estuarine and coastal locations, we conducted a series of paired analyses estimating 14C carbon fixation and primary productivity from electron transport rates with a Fast Repetition Rate fluorometer MkII, from waters on the Australian east coast. Samples were collected from two locations with contrasting optical properties and we compared the relative magnitude of photosynthetic traits, such as the maximum rate of photosynthesis (Pmax), light utilisation efficiency (α) and minimum saturating irradiance (EK) estimated using both methods. In the case of FRRf, we applied recent algorithm developments that enabled electron transport rates to be determined free from the need for assumed constants, as in most previous studies. Differences in the concentration and relative proportion of optically active substances at the two locations were evident in the contrasting attenuation of PAR (400–700 nm), blue (431 nm), green (531 nm) and red (669 nm) wavelengths. FRRF-derived estimates of photosynthetic parameters were positively correlated with independent estimates of 14C carbon fixation (Pmax: n = 19, R2 = 0.66; α: n = 21, R2 = 0.77; EK: n = 19, R2 = 0.45; all p < 0.05), however primary productivity was frequently underestimated by the FRRf method. Up to 81% of the variation in the relationship between FRRf and 14C estimates was explained by the presence of pico-cyanobacteria and chlorophyll-a biomass, and the proportion of photoprotective pigments, that appeared to be linked to turbidity. We discuss the potential importance of cyanobacteria in influencing the underestimations of FRRf productivity and steps to overcome this potential limitation

Absorption-based algorithm of primary production for total and size-fractionated phytoplankton in coastal waters

Most satellite models of production have been designed and calibrated for use in the open ocean. Coastal waters are optically more complex, and the use of chlorophyll <i>a</i> (chl <i>a</i>) as a first-order predictor of primary production may lead to substantial errors due to significant quantities of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and total suspended material (TSM) within the first optical depth. We demonstrate the use of phytoplankton absorption as a proxy to estimate primary production in the coastal waters of the North Sea and Western English Channel for both total, micro- and nano+pico-phytoplankton production. The method is implemented to extrapolate the absorption coefficient of phytoplankton and production at the sea surface to depth to give integrated fields of total and micro- and nano+pico-phytoplankton primary production using the peak in absorption coefficient at red wavelengths. The model is accurate to 8% in the Western English Channel and 22% in this region and the North Sea. By comparison, the accuracy of similar chl <i>a</i> based production models was >250%. The applicability of the method to autonomous optical sensors and remotely sensed aircraft data in both coastal and estuarine environments is discussed

Photosynthetic electron turnover in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean

Photosynthetic electron transport directly generates the energy required for carbon fixation and thus underlies the aerobic metabolism of aquatic systems. We determined photosynthetic electron turnover rates, ETRs, from ca. 100 FRR fluorescence water-column profiles throughout the subtropical and tropical Atlantic during six Atlantic Meridional Transect cruises (AMT 6, May–June 1998, to AMT 11, September–October 2000). Each FRR fluorescence profile yielded a water-column ETR-light response from which the maximum electron turnover rate , effective absorption (?PSII) and light saturation parameter (Ek) specific to the concentration of photosystem II reaction centres (RCIIs) were calculated. and Ek increased whilst ?PSII decreased with mixed-layer depth and the daily integrated photosynthetically active photon flux when all provinces were considered together. These trends suggested that variability in maximum ETR can be partly attributed to changes in effective absorption. Independent bio-optical measurements taken during AMT 11 demonstrated that ?PSII variability reflects taxonomic and physiological differences in the phytoplankton communities. and Ek, but not ?PSII, remained correlated with mixed-layer depth and daily integrated photosynthetically active photon flux when data from each oceanic province were considered separately, indicating a decoupling of electron turnover and carbon fixation rates within each province. Comparison of maximum ETRs with 14C-based measurements of Pmax further suggests that light absorption and C fixation are coupled to differing extents for the various oligotrophic Atlantic provinces. We explore the importance of quantifying RCII concentration for determination of ETRs and interpretation of ETR-C fixation coupling. <br/