Patterns of Diatom Diversity Correlate With Dissolved Trace Metal Concentrations and Longitudinal Position in the Notheast Pacific Coastal Offshore Transition Zone

Diatoms are important primary producers in the northeast Pacific Ocean, with their productivity closely linked to pulses of trace elements in the western high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) region of the oceanographic time series transect \u27Line P.\u27 Recently, the coastal-HNLC transition zone of the Line P transect was identified as a hotspot of phytoplankton productivity, potentially controlled by a combination of trace element and macronutrient concentrations. Here we describe diatom community composition in the eastern Line P transect, including the coastal- HNLC transition zone, with a method using high-throughput sequencing of diatom 18S gene amplicons. We identified significant correlations between shifting diatom community composition and longitude combined with concentrations of dissolved copper and 2 other dissolved trace metals (dissolved Fe [dFe] and/or dissolved zinc) and/or a physical factor (salinity or density). None of these variables on its own was significantly correlated with shifts in community composition, and 3 of the factors (dFe, salinity, and density) correlated with one another. Longitude could incorporate multiple factors that may influence diatom communities, including distance from shore, proximity of sampling stations, and an integration of previous pulses of macro- and micro-nutrients. We also evaluated in situ Fe limitation of the diatom Thalassiosira oceanica using a quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction method, and found biological evidence of Fe stress in samples from the coastal-HNLC transition zone. Combined, our results support a prior hypothesis that dissolved trace metals as well as longitudinal distance may be important to diatom diversity in the coastal-HNLC transition zone of the Line P transect

Patterns of diatom diversity correlate with dissolved trace metal concentrations and longitudinal position in the northeast Pacific coastal−offshore transition zone

Diatoms are important primary producers in the northeast Pacific Ocean, with their productivity closely linked to pulses of trace elements in the western high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) region of the oceanographic time series transect ‘Line P.’ Recently, the coastal−HNLC transition zone of the Line P transect was identified as a hotspot of phytoplankton productivity, potentially controlled by a combination of trace element and macronutrient concentrations. Here we describe diatom community composition in the eastern Line P transect, including the coastal− HNLC transition zone, with a method using high-throughput sequencing of diatom 18S gene amplicons. We identified significant correlations between shifting diatom community composition and longitude combined with concentrations of dissolved copper and 2 other dissolved trace metals (dissolved Fe [dFe] and/or dissolved zinc) and/or a physical factor (salinity or density). None of these variables on its own was significantly correlated with shifts in community composition, and 3 of the factors (dFe, salinity, and density) correlated with one another. Longitude could incorporate multiple factors that may influence diatom communities, including distance from shore, proximity of sampling stations, and an integration of previous pulses of macro- and micro-nutrients. We also evaluated in situ Fe limitation of the diatom Thalassiosira oceanica using a quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction method, and found biological evidence of Fe stress in samples from the coastal−HNLC transition zone. Combined, our results support a prior hypothesis that dissolved trace metals as well as longitudinal distance may be important to diatom diversity in the coastal−HNLC transition zone of the Line P transect

Efficient zinc/cobalt inter‐replacement in northeast Pacific diatoms and relationship to high surface dissolved Co : Zn ratios

The importance of zinc (Zn) as a nutrient and its ability to be substituted for by cobalt (Co) have been characterized in model marine diatoms. However, the extent to which this substitution capability is distributed among diatom taxa is unknown. Zn/Co metabolic substitution was assayed in four diatom species as measured by the effect of free ion concentrations of Zn2+ and Co2+ on specific growth rate. Analysis of growth responses found substitution of these metals can occur within the northwest Atlantic isolate Thalassiosira pseudonana CCMP1335, the northeast Atlantic isolate Phaeodactylum tricornutum CCMP632, and within the northeast Pacific isolates Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima UNC1205 and Thalassiosira sp. UNC1203. Metabolic substitution of Co in place of Zn in the Atlantic diatoms supports their growth in media lacking added Zn, but at the cost of reduced growth rates. In contrast, highly efficient Zn/Co substitution that supported growth even in media lacking added Zn was observed in the northeast Pacific diatoms. We also present new data from the northeast Pacific Line P transect that revealed dissolved Co and Zn ratios (dCo : dZn) as high as 3.52 : 1 at surface (0–100 m) depths. We posit that the enhanced ability of the NE Pacific diatoms to grow using Co is an adaptation to these high surface dCo : dZn ratios. Particulate metal data and single-cell metal quotas also suggest a high Zn demand in diatoms that may be partially compensated for by Co