Bacterioplankton, Picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus Distribution Associated with Seagrass in South Coast of Hainan Island, China

Dingtian Yang,Xiujuan Shan,Sumin Liu

doi:10.4236/nr.2014.59042

Dingtian Yang, Xiujuan Shan + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.4236/nr.2014.59042

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Abstract

Seagrass ecosystem is a potential bank for carbon sink. In the paper, we compared the distribution of bacterioplankton, picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus in seagrass ecosystem in Xincun Bay and coral ecosystem in Sanya Bay and found that quantity of bacterioplankton was higher in seagrass ecosystem, and picoeukaryotes had similar distribution pattern with that of bacterioplankton. However, quantity of Synechococcus distribution was higher in coral ecosystem and higher in Sanya Bay. Comparing the unit of quantity of bacterioplankton, picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus in Xincun Bay with that of Sanya Bay, open sea of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, results showed that the highest quantity of bacterioplankton was in Xincun Bay, and the lowest was in open sea of the South China Sea. The quantity of picoeukaryotes had the similar pattern with that of bacterioplankton. Pattern of Synechococcus quantity was different, which was the highest in Sanya Bay. These results indicated that seagrass ecosystem was more suitable for bacterioplankton and picoeukaryotes growth.

Highlights

Knowledge of the distribution of multiple species in time and space within a shared habitat is valuable for understanding how an ecosystem functions [1] and judging whether it is carbon sources or sinks
In order to compare unit quantity of pico-plankton, Sanya Bay, Daya Bay, open sea of South China Sea and Indian Ocean was selected as comparison sites
Picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus in Xincun Bay and Sanya Bay were gathered from September 24 to October 1, 2012

Summary

Introduction

Knowledge of the distribution of multiple species in time and space within a shared habitat is valuable for understanding how an ecosystem functions [1] and judging whether it is carbon sources or sinks. Studying pico-species distribution in seagrass ecosystem can provide firsthand data for calculating ocean carbon flux and providing trail clues thread for searching unkown carbon sinks. Some researches reported that about 150 species of microalgae on seagrass [3] and primary production of these algae occupied about 20% - 60% of total seagrass primary production [4]. Moncreiff [5] studied seagrass primary production in Mississippi Sound and found that primary production of periphyton, benthic diatom, phytoplankton occupied by 87% of the whole seagrass bed. Some researches regarded that benthic algae occupied 33% - 42% of the seagrass ecological primary production [6]

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