Trichodesmium Abundance Research Articles

Environmental controls on the biogeography of diazotrophy and Trichodesmium in the Atlantic Ocean

AbstractThe cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is responsible for a significant proportion of the annual “new” nitrogen introduced into the global ocean. Despite being arguably the best studied marine diazotroph, the factors controlling the distribution and growth of Trichodesmium remain a subject of debate, with sea surface temperature, the partial pressure of CO2, and nutrients including iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P), all suggested to be important. Synthesizing data from seven cruises collectively spanning large temporal and spatial scales across the Atlantic Ocean, including two previously unreported studies crossing the largely undersampled South Atlantic gyre, we assessed the relationship between proposed environmental drivers and both community N2 fixation rates and the distribution of Trichodesmium. Simple linear regression analysis would suggest no relationship between any of the sampled environmental variables and N2 fixation rates. However, considering the concentrations of iron and phosphorus together within a simplified resource‐ratio framework, illustrated using an idealized numerical model, indicates the combined effects these nutrients have on Trichodesmium and broader diazotroph biogeography, alongside the reciprocal maintenance of different biogeographic provinces of the (sub)tropical Atlantic in states of Fe or P oligotrophy by diazotrophy. The qualitative principles of the resource‐ratio framework are argued to be consistent with both the previously described North‐South Atlantic contrast in Trichodesmium abundance and the presence and consequence of a substantial non‐Trichodesmium diazotrophic community in the western South Atlantic subtropical gyre. A comprehensive, observation‐based explanation of the interactions between Trichodesmium and the wider diazotrophic community with iron and phosphorus in the Atlantic Ocean is thus revealed.

Modeling long‐term change of planktonic ecosystems in the northern South China Sea and the upstream Kuroshio Current

AbstractField studies suggested that the biogeochemical settings and community structures are substantial different between the central Northern South China Sea (NSCS) and the upstream Kuroshio Current (KC). In particular, the water column of KC is characterized by substantially lower nutrients and productivity but higher Trichodesmium abundance and nitrogen fixation compared to the NSCS. The mechanism driving the difference of the two marine ecosystems, however, remains inadequately understood. Here, a one‐dimensional biogeochemical model was developed to simulate the long‐term variability of lower‐trophic planktonic ecosystem for two pelagic stations in the NSCS and the KC near the Luzon Strait. The physical model included the vertical mixing driven by air‐sea interaction and the Ekman pumping induced by wind stress curl. The biological model was constructed by modifying a nitrogen‐based NPZD model with the incorporation of phosphorus cycle and diazotroph nitrogen fixation. After validation by several field data sets, the model was used to study the impact of long‐term physical forcing on ecosystem variability in the two distinct stations. Our results suggested that nutrient transport above nitracline during summer was largely controlled by vertical turbulent mixing, while Ekman pumping was important for nutrient transport below the nitracline. Our results also indicated that diazotroph community structure and N2 fixation in the NSCS and the KC could be strongly influenced by physical processes through the impacts on vertical nutrient fluxes. The disadvantage of diazotroph in the NSCS in compared to the KC during the summer could be attributed to its high nitrate fluxes from subsurface leading to outcompete of diazotrophs by faster growing nondiazotroph phytoplankton.

Nitrogen isotope ratios of nitrate and N* anomalies in the subtropical South Pacific

AbstractNitrogen isotopic ratios of nitrate (δ15N– ) were analyzed above 1000 m water depth along 17°S in the subtropical South Pacific during the revisit WOCE P21 cruise in 2009. The δ15N– and N* values were as high as 17‰ and as low as −18 μmol N L−1, respectively, at depths around 250 m east of 115°W, but were as low as 5‰ and as high as +1 μmol N L−1, respectively, in subsurface waters west of 170°W. The relationships among concentrations, N* values, δ15N– values, and oxygen and nitrite concentrations suggest that a few samples east of 90°W were from suboxic and nitrite‐accumulated conditions and were possibly affected by in situ water column denitrification. Most of the high‐δ15N– and negative‐N* waters were probably generated by mixing between Subantarctic Mode Water from the Southern Ocean and Oxygen Deficit Zone Water from the eastern tropical South Pacific, with remineralization of organic matter occurring during transportation. Moreover, the relationship between δ15N– and N* values, as well as Trichodesmium abundances and size‐specific nitrogen fixation rates at the surface, suggest that the low‐δ15N– and positive‐N* subsurface waters between 160°E and 170°W were generated by the input of remineralized particles created by in situ nitrogen fixation, mainly by Trichodesmium spp. Therefore, the δ15N values of sediments in this region are expected to reveal past changes in nitrogen fixation or denitrification rates in the subtropical South Pacific.

Seasonal dynamics of Trichodesmium in the northern East China Sea

Trichodesmium abundance was measured in the northern East China Sea (ECS) from 2006 to 2007 including four seasons. Our results showed an obvious seasonal variation of Trichodesmium that the abundance was very low in spring (0.96×103 trichomes/m3) and increased quickly to the highest value in summer (35.7×103 trichomes/m3), then declined successively in autumn (16.26×103 trichomes/m3) and winter (3.17×103 trichomes/m3). The horizontal distribution patterns of Trichodesmium were quite different among the four seasons. The seasonal variation may be mainly affected by seawater temperature. The horizontal distribution of Trichodesmium may be affected by multiple environmental factors jointly, while salinity seemed to play a more important role in shaping a horizontal distribution pattern of Trichodesmium than water temperature. Furthermore, neither the N-nutrient nor the P-nutrient was considered as a limiting factor for Trichodesmium. Comparison with adjacent areas showed that seasonal variation in this study area was similar to that in the southern ECS and the South China Sea (SCS) but different from that in Kuroshio. An estimation of N2 fixation rate by Trichodesmium abundance indicated that Trichodesmium might be an important source of biological N2 fixation in the shelf area of ECS.

Variability in the abundance of Trichodesmium and nitrogen fixation activities in the subtropical NE Atlantic

Nitrogen fixation by the diazotrophic community in the subtropical NE Atlantic, including the Canary Current region, was investigated during two oceanographic cruises, RODA I (summer 2006) and RODA II (winter 2007). The first evaluated the role of the Canary eddy fields in the growth of nitrogen-fixing Trichodesmium and their rates of nitrogen fixation and of the unscreened whole diazotrophic community. The second cruise was designed to look at the variability of these processes in the subtropical NE Atlantic study area that is influenced by atmospheric transport of African aerosols. During RODA I, significantly higher mean nitrogen fixation rates of unscreened whole surface water (P , 0.05, t-test) were observed at oligotrophic far-field stations than in the nutrient-enriched eddies, but the pattern was not consistent with nitrogen fixation rates of .50 mm samples (Trichodesmium) integrated over depth. However, correlation analyses showed decreasing rates of nitrogen fixation rates of .50 mm samples (Trichodesmium) at stations with higher NH4 concentrations, suggesting that combined N seemed to be an important regulator affecting nitrogen fixation rates. Temperature was also correlated with the abundance of Trichodesmium. Iron (from dust deposition), which has been reported in previous studies to stimulate N2 fixation, did not show any correlation with N2 fixation rates or with the abundance of Trichodesmium.

Spatial patterns of plankton biomass and stable isotopes reflect the influence of the nitrogen-fixer Trichodesmium along the subtropical North Atlantic

C) and with the abundance of the nitrogen-fixer Trichodesmium. Diazotrophy was estimated to account for >50% of organic nitrogen in the central zone, and even >30% in the eastern and the western zones. The impact of diazotrophy increased with the size of the organisms, supporting the wide participation of all trophic levels in the processing of recently fixed nitrogen. These results indicate that atmospheric sources of carbon and nitrogen prevail over deep water sources in the subtropical North Atlantic and that the zone influenced by diazotrophy is much larger than reported in previous studies.

Enhancement of nitrogen fixation rates by unicellular diazotrophs vs. Trichodesmium after a dust deposition event in the Canary Islands

We studied the relationship between atmospheric dust deposition, N2 fixation rates, and the abundance of unicellular diazotrophs and Trichodesmium in weekly or biweekly samplings over 3 months in the Canary Islands. On average, N2 fixation rates by unicellular diazotrophs and Trichodesmium were low (0.2 nmol N L−1 h−1 and 1.66 × 10−3 nmol N L−1 h−1, respectively). However, N2 fixation rates associated with unicellular diazotrophs increased by 86% and 92% after a peak of aerosol concentration in samples incubated in both light and dark, while the rates associated with Trichodesmium diminished by 34% and 92% in the light and in the dark, respectively. The abundance of unicellular diazotrophs ranged from 4 cells L−1 to 54 cells L−1. After the input of aerosols, 66% of the unicellular diazotrophs observed were attached to putatively organic matter particles. Trichodesmium abundance was low (average of 0.5 trichomes L−1), mainly in the form of free trichomes, which might hinder the ability of these organisms to take advantage of the Fe dissolved in the water column after dust deposition events. We also highlight the importance of monitoring short‐term variability of N2 fixation in order to have a better understanding of the nitrogen cycle in the ocean.

Community N2 fixation and Trichodesmium spp. abundance along longitudinal gradients in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic

AbstractFernández, A., Graña, R., Mouriño-Carballido, B., Bode, A., Varela, M., Domínguez-Yanes, J. F., Escánez, J., de Armas, D., and Marañón, E. 2013. Community N2 fixation and Trichodesmium spp. abundance along longitudinal gradients in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70:223–231. We have determined planktonic community N2 fixation, Trichodesmium abundance, the concentration and vertical diffusive flux of phosphate, and satellite-derived estimates of atmospheric concentration of dust along two longitudinal transects in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic during November 2007 and from April–May 2008. Trichodesmium abundance was particularly low (<3 trichome l−1) during the spring 2008 cruise, when low sea surface temperatures were recorded and vertical stratification was less marked. However, community N2 fixation was always measurable, albeit low compared with other regions of the tropical Atlantic. The average, vertically-integrated N2 fixation rate was 1.20 ± 0.48 µmol N m−2 d−1 in autumn 2007 and 8.31 ± 3.31 µmol N m−2 d−1 in spring 2008. The comparison of these rates of diazotrophy with the observed Trichodesmium abundances suggests that other, presumably unicellular, diazotrophs must have contributed significantly to community N2 fixation, at least during the spring 2008 cruise. Satellite data of atmospheric dust concentration suggested similar rates of atmospheric deposition during the two surveys. In contrast, vertical diffusive fluxes of phosphate were 5-fold higher in spring than in autumn (14.2 ± 12.1 µmol P m−2 d−1 and 2.8 ± 2.6 µmol P m−2 d−1, respectively), which may have stimulated N2 fixation. These findings agree with the growing view that N2 fixation is a more widespread process than the distribution of Trichodesmium alone may suggest. Our data also suggest a role for phosphorus supply in controlling the local variability of diazotrophic activity in a region subject to relatively high atmospheric inputs of iron.

Impact of eutrophication on the occurrence of Trichodesmium in the Cochin backwaters, the largest estuary along the west coast of India

Phytoplankton studies in early 1970s have shown the annual dominance of diatoms and a seasonal abundance of Trichodesmium in the lower reaches of the Cochin backwaters (CBW) and adjacent coastal Arabian Sea during the pre-summer monsoon period (February to May). Surprisingly, more recent literature shows a complete absence of Trichodesmium in the CBW after 1975 even though their seasonal occurrence in the adjacent coastal Arabian Sea continued without much change. In order to understand this important ecological feature, we analyzed the long-term water quality data (1965-2005) from the lower reaches of the CBW. The analyses have shown that salinity did not undergo any major change in the lower reaches over the years and values remained >30 throughout the period. In contrast, a tremendous increase was well marked in levels of nitrate (NO(3)) and phosphate (PO(4)) in the CBW after 1975 (av. 15 and 3.5 μM, respectively) compared with the period before (av. 2 and 0.9 μM, respectively). Monthly time series data collected in 2004-2005 period from the lower reaches of the CBW and coastal Arabian Sea have clearly shown that the physical characteristics like salinity, temperature, water column stability, and transparency in both regions are very similar during the pre-summer monsoon period. In contrast, the nutrient level in the CBW is several folds higher (NO(3), 8(;) PO(4), 4; SiO(4), 10; and NH(4), 19 μM) than the adjacent coastal Arabian Sea (NO(3), 0.7; PO(4), 0.5; SiO(4), 0.9; and NH(4), 0.6 μM). The historic and fresh time series data evidences a close coupling between enriched levels of nutrients and the absence of Trichodesmium in the Cochin backwaters.

The relationship between volatile halocarbons and phytoplankton pigments during a Trichodesmium bloom in the coastal eastern Arabian Sea

Eukaryotic phytoplankton such as diatoms and prymnesiophytes produce biogenic halocarbons in the ocean that serve as important sources of chlorine and bromine to the atmosphere, but the role of cyanobacteria in halocarbon production is not well established. We studied distributions of chloroform (CHCl 3), carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4), methylene bromide (CH 2Br 2) and bromoform (CHBr 3) in relation to phytoplankton composition, determined from pigment analysis complemented by microscopic examination, for one month in coastal waters of the eastern Arabian that experienced a Trichodesmium bloom that typically occurs during the Spring Intermonsoon season. High concentrations of zeaxanthin (23 μg l −1), alpha beta betacarotene (6 μg l −1) and chlorophyll a (67 μg l −1) were found within the bloom whereas the marker pigment concentrations were low outside the bloom. CHCl 3 and CCl 4 occurred in relatively high concentrations in surface waters whereas CH 2Br 2 and CHBr 3 were restricted to the subsurface layer. Chlorinated halocarbons were positively inter-correlated and with CHBr 3. The observed spatial and temporal trends in brominated compounds appear to be related to the abundance of Trichodesmium although correlations between concentrations of brominated compounds with various marker pigments were poor and statistically non-significant. The results support the existence of multiple sources and sinks of halogenated compounds, which might obscure the relationship between halocarbons and phytoplankton composition.

Low water column nitrogen fixation in the Mediterranean Sea: basin-wide experimental evidence

The abundance and nitrogen fixation rates of Trichodesmium sp. integrated down to the deep chlorophyll maximum as well as nitrogen fixation rates in size-fractionated discrete surface water samples were measured across the Mediterranean Sea. The abundance of Trichodesmium sp. was generally low ( 20°C and Trichodesmium sp. was present at a higher density (ca. 700 trichomes m -3 ). Across the basin, size-fractionated nitrogen fixation rates were low (<250 nmol N2 m -3 h -1 ). The highest rate was measured at a station characterized by relatively high concentrations of total dissolved P and dissolved Fe. High δ 15 N values (8.04 ± 2.03‰) of the particulate organic nitrogen were in accordance with the observed low water column nitrogen fixation rates across the Mediter- ranean Sea.

Nitrogen Uptake Rates during Spring in the NE Arabian Sea

We present new data on N uptake rates and f-ratios in the north-eastern (NE) Arabian Sea, where significant amounts of Trichodesmium were present in spring, 2006. The measured total nitrogen uptake rates ranged from 0.34 to 1.58 mmol N . fixation associated with Trichodesmium varied from 0.002 to 0.54 mmol N estimated from the abundance of Trichodesmium and specific fixation rates of 1.5 pmol N trichome. Inclusion of fixation rates significantly changes f-ratios particularly in the coastal stations. Nitrogen isotopic data of surface suspended particles suggest that recently fixed nitrogen contributes as high as ~79% of the nitrogen in surface suspended particles. In addition, water column gained ~30 mmol N in the form of nitrate, likely due to nitrification of ammonium released by Trichodesmium. For better estimations, direct measurement of fixation is recommended.

Latitudinal distribution of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Trichodesmium&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; spp. and N&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; fixation in the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract. We have determined the latitudinal distribution of Trichodesmium spp. abundance and community N2 fixation in the Atlantic Ocean along a meridional transect from ca. 30° N to 30° S in November–December 2007 and April–May 2008. The observations from both cruises were highly consistent in terms of absolute magnitude and latitudinal distribution, showing a strong association between Trichodesmium abundance and community N2 fixation. The highest Trichodesmium abundances (mean = 220 trichomes L−1,) and community N2 fixation rates (mean = 60 μmol m−2 d−1) occurred in the Equatorial region between 5° S–15° N. In the South Atlantic gyre, Trichodesmium abundance was very low (ca. 1 trichome L−1) but N2 fixation was always measurable, averaging 3 and 10 μmol m2 d−1 in 2007 and 2008, respectively. We suggest that N2 fixation in the South Atlantic was sustained by other, presumably unicellular, diazotrophs. Comparing these distributions with the geographical pattern in atmospheric dust deposition points to iron supply as the main factor determining the large scale latitudinal variability of Trichodesmium spp. abundance and N2 fixation in the Atlantic Ocean. We observed a marked South to North decrease in surface phosphate concentration, which argues against a role for phosphorus availability in controlling the large scale distribution of N2 fixation. Scaling up from all our measurements (42 stations) results in conservative estimates for total N2 fixation of ∼6 TgN yr−1 in the North Atlantic (0–40° N) and ~1.2 TgN yr−1 in the South Atlantic (0–40° S).

New estimation of N2 fixation in the western and central Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas

The distribution of N2 fixation was examined using a 15N2 tracer with accompanying measurements of abundance of Trichodesmium spp. and Richelia intracellularis, nitrate plus nitrite (N+N) and soluble reactive phosphorus at the nanomolar level, and primary production in the western and central Pacific Ocean. N2 fixation occurred only in &gt;∼20°C oligotrophic (i.e., N+N &lt; 100 nM) waters except at a station in the equatorial upwelling zone where N+N was 1880 nM. High N2 fixation rates were observed in the Kuroshio and East China Sea (KECS) and near Fiji and other isolated islands with concomitant high abundance of Trichodesmium spp. In contrast, N2 fixation in the western and central oligotrophic North Pacific (WCONP) was significantly lower, and Trichodesmium spp. were rarely observed. These observations hint that KECS and waters around isolated islands are N2 fixation “hot spots” because of the occurrence of Trichodesmium spp. The average N2 fixation rate in the KECS of 232 ± 54.8 (±SE, n = 13) μmol N m−2 d−1 was almost 1 order of magnitude higher than that in the WCONP of 39.2 ± 7.51 (n = 26) μmol N m−2 d−1. On the basis of these estimates and reported values obtained using 15N2, depth‐integrated N2 fixation in the North Pacific was estimated to be 2.6 ± 0.3 × 109 (n = 63) mol N d−1, which is less than half of previous estimates. This difference was ascribed primarily to the unavailability of N2 fixation rates in the WCONP, which occupies a vast area of the subtropical North Pacific, and the use of data obtained in the hot spots which represent small areas that likely led to the previous overestimation.

Mesoscale decrease of surface phosphate and associated phytoplankton dynamics in the vicinity of the subtropical South Pacific islands

Surface distributions of nutrients and phytoplankton were investigated in the vicinity of the subtropical South Pacific islands by using a continuous underway system with a highly sensitive nutrient analysis. A total of 17 transects, whose lengths ranged between 42 and 271 km, were sampled for continuous nutrient measurements. The study area was characterized by an overall depletion of nitrate+nitrite (<15 nM), but phosphate varied from 7 to 192 nM. The transects were grouped into 4 patterns according to distribution of phosphate concentrations. In 7 transects, a mesoscale decrease in phosphate occurred, coinciding with an elevation of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence, which was accompanied by an increase in phytoplankton abundance as revealed by microscopy, flow cytometry, and accessory pigments. This mirror–image relationship between the phosphate concentration and phytoplankton abundance was most apparent on both a 99-km transect east of Tonga, where the phosphate concentration ranged from 17 to 125 nM, and on a 98-km transect west of Fiji, where the phosphate concentration ranged from 23 to 136 nM. Both these transects contained distinct blooms of Trichodesmium in areas with the lowest concentrations of phosphate. In other 2 transects, fluctuations in phosphate concentrations showed no distinct relationship with chlorophyll fluorescence. Other patterns that emerged included consistently high concentrations, ranging from 109 to 192 nM, in 5 transects and consistently low phosphate concentrations, ranging from 7 to 50 nM, in 3 transects. Abundance of Trichodesmium, Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and all accessory pigments examined tended to be higher in the low phosphate transects than in the high phosphate ones. In particular, Trichodesmium occurred in low phosphate water (<25 nM). There was no significant relationship between phosphate concentrations and nanoplanktonic unicellular cyanobacteria. Our observations suggest that surface phosphate decreases are associated with phytoplankton utilization of phosphate, and that nitrogen supply from Trichodesmium may contributes to this utilization.

Diazotrophic bacterioplankton in a coral reef lagoon: phylogeny, diel nitrogenase expression and response to phosphate enrichment

We investigated diazotrophic bacterioplankton assemblage composition in the Heron Reef lagoon (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) using culture-independent techniques targeting the nifH fragment of the nitrogenase gene. Seawater was collected at 3 h intervals over a period of 72 h (i.e. over diel as well as tidal cycles). An incubation experiment was also conducted to assess the impact of phosphate (PO(4)3*) availability on nifH expression patterns. DNA-based nifH libraries contained primarily sequences that were most similar to nifH from sediment, microbial mat and surface-associated microorganisms, with a few sequences that clustered with typical open ocean phylotypes. In contrast to genomic DNA sequences, libraries prepared from gene transcripts (mRNA amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) were entirely cyanobacterial and contained phylotypes similar to those observed in open ocean plankton. The abundance of Trichodesmium and two uncultured cyanobacterial phylotypes from previous studies (group A and group B) were studied by quantitative-polymerase chain reaction in the lagoon samples. These were detected as transcripts, but were not detected in genomic DNA. The gene transcript abundance of these phylotypes demonstrated variability over several diel cycles. The PO(4)3* enrichment experiment had a clearer pattern of gene expression over diel cycles than the lagoon sampling, however PO(4)3* additions did not result in enhanced transcript abundance relative to control incubations. The results suggest that a number of diazotrophs in bacterioplankton of the reef lagoon may originate from sediment, coral or beachrock surfaces, sloughing into plankton with the flooding tide. The presence of typical open ocean phylotype transcripts in lagoon bacterioplankton may indicate that they are an important component of the N cycle of the coral reef.

Influence of the Amazon River plume on distributions of free‐living and symbiotic cyanobacteria in the western tropical north Atlantic Ocean

The vertical and horizontal distributions of seven diazotrophic populations in the western tropical north Atlantic (WTNA) Ocean were examined using a nifH DNA quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) approach. The nifH phylotype abundances were highest near the surface and decreased with depth, with the exception of the cyanobacterial symbiont Calothrix, which was not detected at any station. Richelia associated with the diatoms Rhizosolenia clevei and Hemiaulus hauckii were distributed within the freshwater lens of the Amazon plume. Abundances of H. hauckii‐Richelia nifH genes dominated all depths in 6 of 10 vertical profiles and 10 of 20 surface samples. In addition, estimates of Richelia associated with H. hauckii increased northwest (8‐ 12°N, 56‐54°W) from the river mouth, where significantly ( p &lt; 0.001) higher abundances (&gt;105 copies L−1) were found in mesohaline waters (31‐34.9). nifH copy abundance for surface populations of the H. hauckii‐Richelia symbioses were positively correlated (r2 = 0.59) with salinity. Three unicellular cyanobacterial groups and Trichodesmium had similar horizontal distributions, where the highest nifH copy estimates were at stations with salinity ≥35 and northeast (6‐10°N 50°W) of the freshwater lens. The abundance of Trichodesmium spp. and unicellular Group B nifH gene copies co‐varied (r2 = 0.60). The QPCR study showed the dominance of H. hauckii‐Richelia symbioses in the Amazon plume waters, implying that these associations had an ecological advantage over the other diazotrophs. Outside of the plume nutrients were below detection, abundances of freeliving unicellular cyanobacterial phylotypes, including a novel group designated Group C, were abundant (&gt;105 copies L−1) and comparable to the abundances of Trichodesmium spp. Thus, there appeared to be a cascade of diazotrophic communities along gradients of salinity and nutrients in the WTNA.

Physiological constraints on the global distribution of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Trichodesmium&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; – effect of temperature on diazotrophy

Abstract. The cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is an important link in the global nitrogen cycle due to its significant input of atmospheric nitrogen to the ocean. Attempts to incorporate Trichodesmium in ocean biogeochemical circulation models have, so far, relied on the observed correlation between temperature and Trichodesmium abundance. This correlation may result in part from a direct effect of temperature on Trichodesmium growth rates through the control of cellular biochemical processes, or indirectly through temperature influence on mixed layer depth, light and nutrient regimes. Here we present results indicating that the observed correlation of Trichodesmium with temperature in the field reflects primarily the direct physiological effects of temperature on diazotrophic growth of Trichodesmium. Trichodesmium IMS-101 (an isolate of Trichodesmium) could acclimate and grow at temperatures ranging from 20 to 34°C. Maximum growth rates (μmax=0.25 day–1) and maximum nitrogen fixation rates (0.13 mmol N mol POC−1 h–1) were measured within 24 to 30°C. Combining this empirical relationship with global warming scenarios derived from state-of-the-art climate models sets a physiological constraint on the future distribution of Trichodesmium that could significantly affect the future nitrogen input into oligotrophic waters by this diazotroph.

An improved bio‐optical model for the remote sensing of Trichodesmium spp. blooms

The cyanobacterium Trichodesmium spp. can be an important ecological and biogeochemical component for both the coastal and open ocean ecosystems by way of its nitrogen fixation ability. However, information regarding its spatial and temporal distribution remains sparse. Trichodesmium has unique optical properties that should allow for its spectral signature to be detectable in satellite ocean color data sets. Here, a global data set of concurrent measurements of Trichodesmium abundance and radiometric reflectance was compiled and used to develop bio‐optical models for Trichodesmium. The most robust global model related the water‐leaving radiance signal to the identification of an occurrence of a Trichodesmium bloom above a threshold value of 3200 trichomes L−1. Using the in situ data set, this model is trained to successfully predict Trichodesmium blooms (∼92%) while minimizing false positive retrievals (∼16% of nonbloom observations). A validation of the approach applied to Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color imagery shows that the model correctly predicts 76% of the bloom occurrences of an independent validation data set of in situ Trichodesmium observations. Ultimately, maps of Trichodesmium bloom occurrence will provide a means of addressing the ecology of Trichodesmium and its contribution to new production of the world oceans.

Effects of the colonial cyanobacterium Trichodesmium spp. on bacterial activity

We measured rates of particulate and dissolved primary production (DOCp) as well as bacterial production (BP) in order to determine the effect of freshly produced photosynthates on heterotrophic bacteria. During a 1 mo study carried out on samples from the southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia, we observed 2 different phytoplanktonic communities. The first was a mixed com- munity, dominated by diatoms and with a low abundance of Trichodesmium spp. (10% total phyto- plankton cells) and the second community was dominated by Trichodesmium spp. (up to 98% total phytoplankton cells). Chlorophyll a normalised total (particulate + dissolved) primary production rates were twice as high in the mixed community compared to the Trichodesmium spp. dominated community. The percentage of extracellular release (PER), calculated as the percentage of DOCp divided by total primary production (TOCp), reached 8% in the mixed community; in contrast, rates were much lower in the Trichodesmium spp. community and remained close to 1%. In terms of BP, activities were higher in the mixed community and were generally higher in light incubations than in the dark. In contrast, in the Trichodesmium spp. dominated community, bacterial activity was much lower and decreased with increasing Trichodesmium spp. abundance. This decrease in bacterial activity could not be explained by a decrease in bacterial abundance. This suggests that the propor- tion of active bacteria was much lower during the Trichodesmium spp. bloom.