Role of small Rhizaria and diatoms in the pelagic silica production of the Sourther Ocean

We examined biogenic silica production and elementary composition (biogenic Si, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen) of Rhizaria and diatoms in the upper 200 m along a transect in the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean during austral summer (January–February 2019). From incubations using the 32Si radioisotope, silicic acid uptake rates were measured at 15 stations distributed in the Polar Front Zone, the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Ross Sea Gyre. Rhizaria cells are heavily silicified (up to 7.6 nmol Si cell−1), displaying higher biogenic Si content than similar size specimens found in other areas of the global ocean, suggesting a higher degree of silicification of these organisms in the silicic acid rich Southern Ocean. Despite their high biogenic Si and carbon content, the Si/C molar ratio (average of 0.05 ± 0.03) is quite low compared to that of diatoms and relatively constant regardless of the environmental conditions. The direct measurements of Rhizaria's biogenic Si production (0.8–36.8 μmol Si m−2 d−1) are of the same order of magnitude than previous indirect estimations, confirming the importance of the Southern Ocean for the global Rhizaria silica production. However, diatoms largely dominated the biogenic Si standing stock and production of the euphotic layer, with low rhizarians' abundances and biogenic Si production (no more than 1%). In this manuscript, we discuss the Antarctic paradox of Rhizaria, that is, the potential high accumulation rates of biogenic Si due to Rhizaria in siliceous sediments despite their low production rates in surface waters.Versión del editor3,38

Production and dissolution of biogenic silica in the ocean: Revised global estimates, comparison with regional data and relationship to biogenic sedimentation

We estimate the global rate of biogenic silica production in the ocean to be between 200 and 280 × 1012 mol Si yr−1. The upper limit is derived from information on the primary productivity of the oceans, the relative contribution of diatoms to primary production and diatom Si/C ratios. The lower limit is derived independently using a multi‐compartment model of nutrient transport and biogenic particle flux, and field data on the balance between silica production and dissolution in the upper ocean. Our upper limit is 30–50% lower than several previous estimates, due to new data indicating lower values for both the relative contribution of diatoms to primary productivity and their Si/C ratios. Globally, at least 50% of the silica produced by diatoms in the euphotic zone dissolves in the upper 100 m, resulting in an estimated export of 100–140 × 1012 mol Si yr−l to the deep ocean. Our estimates correspond to a global mean rate of biogenic silica production between 0.6 and 0.8 mol Si m−2 yr−1. Incubation experiments indicate that silica production rates exceed that mean by a factor of 3–12 in coastal areas and are 2–4 times less than the global average in the oligotrophic mid‐ocean gyres. The mean silica production rate in waters overlying diatomaceous sediments (approximately 10–12% of the surface area of the oceans) is 0.7–1.2 mol Si m−2 yr−1. That rate is only slightly higher than the global average, indicating that the silica produced in those regions is only 10–25% of the global total. The estimated production of biogenic silica in surface waters of the mid‐ocean gyres is approximately equal to that for all major areas of opal sediment accumulation combined. Regional comparison of silica production and accumulation rates suggests a strongly bimodal character in the efficiency of opal preservation in the sea. In waters overlying diatom‐rich sediments 15–25% of the silica produced in the surface layer accumulates in the seabed, while virtually none of the silica produced in other areas is preserved. The global burial/production ratio of ˜ 3% is a composite of those two very different systems. The mechanisms leading to more efficient opal preservation in regions of silica accumulation are presently unknown, but they have no simple relationship to primary productivity. Regional differences in opal preservation appear to be controlled by factors such as low surface temperature, selective grazing and aggregate formation, which diminish the rate of silica dissolution in surface waters and/or accelerate its transport to the seafloor

Biodeposition by an invasive suspension feeder impacts the biogeochemical cycle of Si in a coastal ecosystem (Bay of Brest, France)

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Citizen participation in monitoring phytoplankton seawater discolorations

International audienceA citizen monitoring program (Phenomer) of marine water discolorations caused by high biomass phytoplankton development (Harmful Algal Blooms, HABs) was conducted in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the coastal waters of Brittany (France). This project aimed to explore the feasibility of acquiring scientifically valuable data on water discolorations phenomena through a citizen science approach, extending the surface area of monitored coastal waters by means of citizen observations. During the three years of the project implementation, respectively 14, 32 and 28 warnings were sampled and recognized as phytoplankton water discolorations. Respectively, 7, 24 and 14 phenomena were observed outside of routine monitoring points. Citizen observations contributed towards evaluating the extension of red discolorations caused by Noctiluca scintillans and the duration and impact on marine fauna of green discolorations of Lepidodinium chlorophorum. A bivalve mortality event coincided with a dark-brown phytoplankton bloom characterized by the dominance of the toxic raphidophytes Heterosigma akashiwo and Pseudochattonella verruculosa, whose presence indicate a new potential hazard in Brittany. Interview analysis of citizen observations showed that the contributors to Phenomer are generally well-informed on environmental issues and concerned about the status of the marine environment. Phenomer demonstrates the complementary value of citizen science programs to routine phytoplankton monitoring, as well as providing scientific information on water discolorations phenomena, whose observations over a large territory have rarely been structured. The advantages and limits shown by the Phenomer project will help to optimize future applications of citizen science approaches for phytoplankton and HAB studies

Diatom Frustules Nanostructure in Pelagic and Benthic Environments

International audienceDiatoms are an important group of eukaryotic microalgae with a siliceous cell wall, the frustule. Diatoms are traditionally subdivided into two sub-classes, namely centric diatoms with a radial symmetry and pennate diatoms with a bilateral symmetry. These two groups of diatoms have usually biotope preferences, with centric diatoms dominating the pelagic environments, whereas the benthic habitats are mostly inhabited by pennate diatoms. The question of how the morphology of diatoms (centric versus pennate) or the ultrastructure of the frustule could be driven by ecological constrains remains unclear. For example, some studies have suggested that the structure of the diatom frustule could play a role in the light harvesting performances. In this work, we studied the variations of the diatom frustules nanostructure in several benthic and pelagic species inhabiting the same coastal ecosystem, particularly the ultrastructure that includes the distribution and size of the frustule pores. Although the species studied here experience different ecological constrains in term of light, we found no significant differences between benthic and pelagic species, in either the size of the pores (average =285 (+/- 108) nm) or the distance between them (average =234 (+/- 87) nm). Moreover, the intra-species variability was sometimes larger than the variability observed between cells from different genera. We concluded that the pore morphometry is controlled by a combination of genetically-driven processes of bio-mineralization, and episodic variations in environmental growth conditions which influence the chemical precipitation of silica within the cells

Reviews and syntheses: The biogeochemical cycle of silicon in the modern ocean

he element silicon (Si) is required for the growth of silicified organisms in marine environments, such as diatoms, which consume vast amounts of Si together with N, P, and C, connecting the biogeochemical cycles of these elements. Thus, understanding the Si cycle in the ocean is critical for understanding issues such as carbon sequestration by the ocean's biological pump. In this review, we show that recent advances in process studies indicate that total Si inputs and outputs, to and from the world ocean, are 57 % and 18 % higher, respectively, than previous estimates. We also update the total ocean silicic acid inventory value, which is about 24 % higher than previously estimated. These changes are significant, modifying factors such as the geochemical residence time of Si, which is now about 8000 years and two times faster than previously assumed. In addition, we present an updated value of the global annual pelagic biogenic silica production (255 Tmol-Si yr−1) based on new data from 49 field studies and 18 model outputs, and provide a first estimate of the global annual benthic biogenic silica production due to sponges (6 Tmol-Si yr−1). Given these important modifications, we address the steady state hypothesis of the Si cycle for past and modern oceans, and propose a possible steady state scenario for the global ocean (inputs = outputs = 14.8 Tmol-Si yr−1) and boundary exchange zone. Case studies for future programs are highlighted, and potential impacts of global change on the marine Si cycle discussed

A review of Si particle fluxes in the modern ocean

Due to the major role played by diatoms in the biological pump of CO2, and to the presence of silica-rich sediments in areas that play a major role in air-sea CO2 exchange (e.g. the Southern Ocean and the Equatorial Pacific), opal has a strong potential as a proxy for paleoproductivity reconstructions. However, because of spatial variations in the biogenic silica preservation, and in the degree of coupling between the marine Si and C biogeochemical cycles, paleoreconstructions are not straitghtforward. A better calibration of this proxy in the modern ocean is required, which needs a good understanding of the mechanisms that control the Si cycle, in close relation to the carbon cycle. This review of the Si cycle in the modern ocean starts with the mechanisms that control the uptake of silicic acid (Si(OH)4) by diatoms and the subsequent silicification processes, the regulatory mechanisms of which are uncoupled. This has strong implications for the direct measurement in the field of the kinetics of Si(OH)4 uptake and diatom growth. It also strongly influences the Si:C ratio within diatoms, clearly linked to environmental conditions. Diatoms tend to dominate new production at marine ergoclines. At depth, they also succeed to form mats, which sedimentation is at the origin of laminated sediments and marine sapropels. The concentration of Si(OH)4 with respect to other macronutrients exerts a major influence on diatom dominance and on the rain ratio between siliceous and calcareous material, which severely impacts surface waters pCO2. A compilation of biogenic fluxes collected at about 40 sites by means of sediment traps also shows a remarkable pattern of increasing BSi:Corg ratio along the path of the "conveyor belt", accompanying the relative enrichment of waters in Si compared to N and P. This observation suggests an extension of the Si pump model described by Dugdale and Wilkerson (1989, doi:10.1038/34630), giving to Si(OH)4 a major role in the control of the rain ratio, which is of major importance in the global carbon cycle. The fate of the BSi produced in surface waters is then described, in relation to Corg, in terms of both dissolution and preservation mechanisms. Difficulties in quantifying the dissolution of biogenic silica in the water column as well as the sinking rates and forms of BSi to the deep, provide evidence for a major gap in our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the competition between retention in and export from surface waters. The relative influences of environmental conditions, seasonality, food web structure or aggregation are however explored. Quantitatively, assuming steady state, the measurements of the opal rain rate by means of sediment traps matches reasonably well those obtained by adding the recycling and burial fluxes in the underlying abyssal sediments, for most of the sites where such a comparison is possible. The major exception is the Southern Ocean where sediment focusing precludes the closing of mass balances. Focusing in fact is also an important aspect of the downward revision of the importance of Southern Ocean sediments in the global biogenic silica accumulation. Qualitatively, little is known about the duration of the transfer through the deep and the quality of the material that reaches the seabed, which is suggested to represent a major gap in our understanding of the processes governing the early diagenesis of BSi in sediments. The sediment composition (special emphasis on Al availability), the sedimentation rate or bioturbation are shown to exert an important control on the competition between dissolution and preservation of BSi in sediments. It is suggested that a primary control on the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of BSi dissolution, both in coastal and abyssal sediments, is exerted by water column processes, either occuring in surface waters during the formation of the frustules, or linked to the transfer of the particles through the water column, which duration may influence the quality of the biogenic rain. This highlights the importance of studying the factors controlling the degree of coupling between pelagic and benthic processes in various regions of the world ocean, and its consequences, not only in terms of benthic biology but also for the constitution of the sediment archive. The last section, first calls for the end of the "NPZD" models, and for the introduction of processes linked to the Si cycle, into models describing the phytoplankton cycles in surface waters and the early diagenesis of BSi in sediments. It also calls for the creation of an integrated 1-D diagnostic model of the Si:C coupling, for a better understanding of the interactions between surface waters, deep waters and the upper sedimentary column. The importance of Si(OH)4 in the control of the rain ratio and the improved parametrization of the Si cycle in the 1-D diagnostic models should lead to a reasonable incorporation of the Si cycle into 3-D regional circulation models and OGCMs, with important implications for climate change studies and paleoreconstructions at regional and global scale