Major Source Of Nitrogen Research Articles

Bioconversion of agriculture wastes to produce α-amylase from Bacillus velezensis KB 2216: Purification and characterization

Abstract Bacillus velezensis KB 2216 was the most capable amylase producing strain among 26 isolates. The strain was assayed for alpha-amylase production under submerged fermentation. Amylase was purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex gel chromatography. KB 2216 was recognized to produce 4 different forms of amylase. One form of alpha-amylase was noted to dimeric, named Amy2. The latter SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis revealed that purified Amy2 was an approximately 97 kDa dimer of two 55 kDa and 42 kDa subunits. Amy2 was exhibited maximum activity at pH 5.5 and 55 °C and highest stability at the range of pH 5.0 to pH 5.5 and 0 °C to 4 °C. Initially, production media inoculated by new MS6 seed media was showed the highest production (17.066 U/ml) compared to conventional seed media (11.420 U/ml). Production media was optimized using various agricultural wastes. The highest α-amylase production achieved using 4% moong husk and 2% soybean cake as a major source of carbon and nitrogen respectively and also in the presence of 1.5% fructose and 0.5% NaNO3 as additional nutrients for enhancement of α-amylase biosynthesis (180.06 U/ml). The optimal physical parameters were assessed to the temperature at 35 °C, pH 5.0 and 72 h incubation period.

Potential Pathway of Nitrous Oxide Formation in Plants.

Plants can produce and emit nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, and several field-based studies have concluded that this gas is emitted at substantial amounts. However, the exact mechanisms of N2O production in plant cells are unknown. Several studies have hypothesised that plants might act as a medium to transport N2O produced by soil-inhabiting microorganisms. Contrarily, aseptically grown plants and axenic algal cells supplied with nitrate (NO3) are reported to emit N2O, indicating that it is produced inside plant cells by some unknown physiological phenomena. In this study, the possible sites, mechanisms, and enzymes involved in N2O production in plant cells are discussed. Based on the experimental evidence from various studies, we determined that N2O can be produced from nitric oxide (NO) in the mitochondria of plants. NO, a signaling molecule, is produced through oxidative and reductive pathways in eukaryotic cells. During hypoxia and anoxia, NO3 in the cytosol is metabolised to produce nitrite (NO2), which is reduced to form NO via the reductive pathway in the mitochondria. Under low oxygen condition, NO formed in the mitochondria is further reduced to N2O by the reduced form of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). This pathway is active only when cells experience hypoxia or anoxia, and it may be involved in N2O formation in plants and soil-dwelling animals, as reported previously by several studies. NO can be toxic at a high concentration. Therefore, the reduction of NO to N2O in the mitochondria might protect the integrity of the mitochondria, and thus, protect the cell from the toxicity of NO accumulation under hypoxia and anoxia. As NO3 is a major source of nitrogen for plants and all plants may experience hypoxic and anoxic conditions owing to soil environmental factors, a significant global biogenic source of N2O may be its formation in plants via the proposed pathway.

Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Marine Diazotrophy: Insights From Earth System Models

Nitrogen fixation is a major source of new nitrogen to the ocean, supporting biological productivity in the large nitrogen-limited tropical oceans. In Earth System Models, the response of nitrogen fixation to climate change acts in concert with projected changes to physical nitrogen supply to regulate the response of primary productivity in nitrogen-limited regions. We examine the response of diazotrophy from nine Earth System Models and find large variability in the magnitude and spatial pattern of nitrogen fixation in both contemporary periods and future projections. Although Earth System Models tend to agree that nitrogen fixation will decrease over the next century, strong regional variations exist, especially in the tropical Pacific which may counteract the response of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. As the climate driven trend of nitrogen fixation emerges by mid-century in the RCP8.5 scenario, on regional scales it may modulate the broad climate trends in productivity that emerge later in the century. The generally poor skill and lack of agreement amongst Earth System Models indicates that the climate response of nitrogen fixation is a key uncertainty in projections of future ocean primary production in the tropical oceans. Overall, we find that the future evolution of nitrogen fixation plays an important role in shaping future trends in net primary production in the tropics, but the poor skill of models highlights significant uncertainty, especially considering the role of multiple concurrent drivers.

Precipitation Drives Nitrogen Load Variability in Three Iowa Rivers

Study regionIowa, a leading agricultural state in the United States is a major source of nitrogen (N) to the Mississippi River. Study FocusThe study evaluated the impact of changes in precipitation, land cover (area under soybean production, Sb), and N fertilizer application (Napp) on variations in streamflow (SF), baseflow (BF) and N-load in the Des Moines, the Iowa, and the Raccoon rivers. New hydrological insights for the regionLn(SF) and Ln(BF) for all three rivers were influenced by the current year (P1) and previous year (P2) precipitations. Presence of P2 in the regression suggested a deficit or excess soil water that influenced fillable pore space causing decreased or increased river flows. The Ln(N-load) for the Raccoon River was also related to P1 and P2 but the Ln(N-load) for the Des Moines and the Iowa rivers were related to P1 with p-values of P2 slightly above α = 0.05 for significance. Presence of P2 in Ln(N-load) regression reflected changes in both fillable porosity and residual soil N. Contributions of Sb and Napp in explaining variations in predictor variables were none to minimal. We conclude that wet climate and not changes in Sb or Napp is the primary reason for recent higher N-loads in these rivers. Under current cropping systems, we suggest directing efforts on treating river water by expanding floodplain interactions to reduce downstream N-loads.

Plant Defense Stimulator Mediated Defense Activation Is Affected by Nitrate Fertilization and Developmental Stage in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Plant defense stimulators, used in crop protection, are an attractive option to reduce the use of conventional crop protection products and optimize biocontrol strategies. These products are able to activate plant defenses and thus limit infection by pathogens. However, the effectiveness of these plant defense stimulators remains erratic and is potentially dependent on many agronomic and environmental parameters still unknown or poorly controlled. The developmental stage of the plant as well as its fertilization, and essentially nitrogen nutrition, play major roles in defense establishment in the presence of pathogens or plant defense stimulators. The major nitrogen source used by plants is nitrate. In this study, we investigated the impact of Arabidopsis thaliana plant developmental stage and nitrate nutrition on its capacity to mount immune reactions in response to two plant defense stimulators triggering two major defense pathways, the salicylic acid and the jasmonic acid pathways. We show that optimal nitrate nutrition is needed for effective defense activation and protection against the pathogenic bacteria Dickeya dadantii and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Using an npr1 defense signaling mutant, we showed that nitrate dependent protection against D. dadantii requires a functional NPR1 gene. Our results indicate that the efficacy of plant defense stimulators is strongly affected by nitrate nutrition and the developmental stage. The nitrate dependent efficacy of plant defense stimulators is not only due to a metabolic effect but also invloves NPR1 mediated defense signaling. Plant defense stimulators may have opposite effects on plant resistance to a pathogen. Together, our results indicate that agronomic use of plant defense stimulators must be optimized according to nitrate fertilization and developmental stage.

A recently evolved diflavin-containing monomeric nitrate reductase is responsible for highly efficient bacterial nitrate assimilation

Nitrate is one of the major inorganic nitrogen sources for microbes. Many bacterial and archaeal lineages have the capacity to express assimilatory nitrate reductase (NAS), which catalyzes the rate-limiting reduction of nitrate to nitrite. Although a nitrate assimilatory pathway in mycobacteria has been proposed and validated physiologically and genetically, the putative NAS enzyme has yet to be identified. Here, we report the characterization of a novel NAS encoded by Mycolicibacterium smegmatis Msmeg_4206, designated NasN, which differs from the canonical NASs in its structure, electron transfer mechanism, enzymatic properties, and phylogenetic distribution. Using sequence analysis and biochemical characterization, we found that NasN is an NADPH-dependent, diflavin-containing monomeric enzyme composed of a canonical molybdopterin cofactor-binding catalytic domain and an FMN-FAD/NAD-binding, electron-receiving/transferring domain, making it unique among all previously reported hetero-oligomeric NASs. Genetic studies revealed that NasN is essential for aerobic M. smegmatis growth on nitrate as the sole nitrogen source and that the global transcriptional regulator GlnR regulates nasN expression. Moreover, unlike the NADH-dependent heterodimeric NAS enzyme, NasN efficiently supports bacterial growth under nitrate-limiting conditions, likely due to its significantly greater catalytic activity and oxygen tolerance. Results from a phylogenetic analysis suggested that the nasN gene is more recently evolved than those encoding other NASs and that its distribution is limited mainly to Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. We observed that among mycobacterial species, most fast-growing environmental mycobacteria carry nasN, but that it is largely lacking in slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria because of multiple independent genomic deletion events along their evolution.

Reducing nitrogen control costs by within- and cross-county targeting

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to improve America's water quality is being applied to the Chesapeake Bay watershed to mitigate the “dead zone” problem. Agricultural activities are the major nonpoint source of nitrogen (N), contributing 44% of total N to the Bay. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are recognized as an effective way to mitigate N loss of agricultural activities. However, because of physical and economic heterogeneity in agricultural regions, targeting BMPs to areas that produce disproportionate nutrient losses has the potential to reduce the costs of achieving water quality goals. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential to reduce costs of meeting a regional water quality goal by targeting N load reductions within- and across-counties. Based on TMDL developed by the US EPA in 2010 for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the N reduction goal is 35% for Pennsylvania by 2025. We examine the effects of targeting the required reductions within counties, across counties, and both within and across counties for the Susquehanna watershed. Using the uniform strategy to meet 35% N reduction as the baseline, results show that costs of achieving a regional 35% N reduction goal can be reduced by 13%, 31% and 36% with cross-county targeting, within-county targeting and within and across county targeting, respectively. Cost effectiveness of government subsidy programs for water quality improvement in agriculture can be increased by targeting them to areas with lower N abatement costs.

Revealing structure and assembly for rhizophyte-endophyte diazotrophic community in mangrove ecosystem after introduced Sonneratia apetala and Laguncularia racemosa

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) mediated by diazotrophic communities is a major source of bioavailable nitrogen in mangrove wetlands, which plays important roles in maintaining the health and stability of mangrove ecosystems. Recent large-scale mangrove afforestation activities have drawn great attention due to introduced mangrove species and their potential impacts on bio-functionalities of local ecosystems. However, the effects of introduced mangrove species on diazotrophic communities remain unclear. Here, we analyzed rhizosphere and endosphere diazotrophic communities between native mangrove species (Avicennia marina) and introduced mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala and Laguncularia racemose) by sequencing nifH gene amplicons. Our results showed that S. apetala and L. racemose introduction significantly (P < 0.05) increased nutrition components (e.g., total carbon and total nitrogen) in rhizosphere, as well as the diazotrophs richness in rhizosphere and endosphere. The relative abundance of clusters III diazotrophs in the rhizosphere and Rhizobium in the endosphere were significantly increased with L. racemosa or S. apetala introduction. Fe and pH were the main environmental factors driving the divergence of endophyte-rhizophyte diazotrophs between native and introduced mangroves. The correlation-based network analyses indicated that the interaction among rhizophyte-endophyte diazotrophs is more harmonious in native mangrove, while there exist more competition in introduced mangroves. These findings expand our current understanding of BNF in mangrove afforestation, and providing new perspectives to sustainable management of mangrove ecosystem.

Primary nitrate responses mediated by calcium signalling and diverse protein phosphorylation.

Nitrate, the major source of inorganic nitrogen for plants, is a critical signal controlling nutrient transport and assimilation and adaptive growth responses throughout the plant. Understanding how plants perceive nitrate and how this perception is transduced into responses that optimize growth are important for the rational improvement of crop productivity and for mitigating pollution from the use of fertilizers. This review highlights recent findings that reveal key roles of cytosolic–nuclear calcium signalling and dynamic protein phosphorylation via diverse mechanisms in the primary nitrate response (PNR). Nitrate-triggered calcium signatures as well as the critical functions of subgroup III calcium-sensor protein kinases, a specific protein phosphatase 2C, and RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphatase-like 3 are discussed. Moreover, genome-wide meta-analysis of nitrate-regulated genes encoding candidate protein kinases and phosphatases for modulating critical phosphorylation events in the PNR are elaborated. We also consider how phosphoproteomics approaches can contribute to the identification of putative regulatory protein kinases in the PNR. Exploring and integrating experimental strategies, new methodologies, and comprehensive datasets will further advance our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the complex regulatory processes in the PNR.

Sponges represent a major source of inorganic nitrogen in Florida Bay (U.S.A.)

Sponges represent a major source of inorganic nitrogen in Florida Bay (U.S.A.)

Sponges represent a major source of inorganic nitrogen in Florida Bay (U.S.A.)

AbstractFlorida Bay nutrient budgets have shown that the majority of existing and influent nitrogen (N) is in organic forms. Consequently, local remineralization processes have been found to regulate the supply of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Sponges have dominated benthic animal biomass in Florida Bay and are known to influence local DIN concentrations through remineralization organic matter, yet the role of these organisms in local N budgets is largely unaddressed. We quantified the role of sponges in N cycling in Florida Bay during 2012–2013 by constructing an N budget for a sponge‐rich basin. Surveys of sponge biomass conducted in Mystery Basin found sponges at 57 of the 59 assessed stations. Sponge population maxima reached 21 individuals m−2 and biomass contributions as high as 4.4 Lsponge m−2. We estimated an average areal DIN contribution from total sponge biomass of 0.59 ± 0.28 mmol N m−2 d−1. However, calculated fluxes from the 59 stations exhibited significant spatial variability associated with changes in the size and species composition of the sponge community; peak N fluxes reached 3.5 ± 0.9 mmol N m−2 d−1 in areas with large populations of high microbial abundance sponges. The average flux from the sponge community was the largest of the estimated sources of DIN to Mystery Basin, representing roughly half of the overall N sourcing. This N satisfied more than half of the demand by primary productivity. These results indicate that sponges are important sources of inorganic N to Florida Bay environments.

Temporal variation of stable isotopic values for dissolved nitrogen compounds in paddy water environment

Vietnam is the second-largest rice exporter worldwide and the amount of applied fertilizer is increasing rapidly in recent years. Overuse of chemical fertilizers in the paddy fields strongly contributes to the pollution of water bodies. This study aimed to understand the temporal variation of nitrogen concentrations and stable isotope values as environmental tracers based on the observed data in a selected paddy field in Vietnam, which provides basic and useful clues for tracing sources and identifying processes of nitrogen. The results from the field survey showed that , in accordance withthe changes in concentrations, δ15N values of ammonium and nitrate in ponded water drastically varied from -3.6‰ to 17.2‰ and from -18.2‰ to 8.5‰, respectively. The present study implied that not only chemical fertilizers but also irrigation water was the major source of nitrogen into the paddy. In addition, microbiological nitrification and denitrification were presumed based on the temporal isotopic variations.

Phosphate availability affects fixed nitrogen transfer from diazotrophs to their epibionts

Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is a major source of external nitrogen (N) to aquatic ecosystems and therefore exerts control over productivity. Studies have shown that N2 -fixers release freshly fixed N into the environment, but the causes for this N release are largely unclear. Here, we show that the availability of phosphate can directly affect the transfer of freshly fixed N to epibionts in filamentous, diazotrophic cyanobacteria. Stable-isotope incubations coupled to single-cell analyses showed that <1% and ~15% of freshly fixed N was transferred to epibionts of Aphanizomenon and Nodularia, respectively, at phosphate scarcity during a summer bloom in the Baltic Sea. When phosphate was added, the transfer of freshly fixed N to epibionts dropped to about half for Nodularia, whereas the release from Aphanizomenon increased slightly. At the same time, the growth rate of Nodularia roughly doubled, indicating that less freshly fixed N was released and was used for biomass production instead. Phosphate scarcity and the resulting release of freshly fixed N could explain the heavy colonization of Nodularia filaments by microorganisms during summer blooms. As such, the availability of phosphate may directly affect the partitioning of fixed N2 in colonies of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and may impact the interactions with their microbiome.

Surplus supply of bioavailable nitrogen through N2 fixation to primary producers in the eastern Arabian Sea during autumn

Diazotrophs have received recent appreciation as a major source of bioavailable nitrogen in the global oceans. They mostly flourish in warm, stratified, calm and nutrient depleted conditions in the ocean. Such conditions prevail during spring and autumn seasons in the Arabian Sea. Some previous experimental studies conducted during spring have suggested the highest rates of N2 fixation among other oceans in the eastern Arabian Sea, but there are no such records during autumn. In addition, modelling studies have suggested high rates of annual N2 fixation in the Arabian Sea. In this study, we conducted isotope labeling incubation experiments in the eastern Arabian Sea in autumn 2010 to estimate N2 fixation rates and primary production. Unlike previous studies conducted in this region, we did not witness any diazotrophic bloom, but our N2 fixation rates (1300–2500 μmol N m−2 d−1) were still comparable to the rates reported in previous studies conducted in spring, and among the highest rates observed in the global oceans. Our data suggest an important role of excess phosphate to sustain N2 fixation during autumn. Most intriguingly our study shows that N2 fixation supplies a surplus amount of bioavailable nitrogen required for primary producers during autumn in this region.

Slurry-grown duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) as a means to recycle nitrogen into feed for rainbow trout fry

Liquid manure from livestock production systems is a major source of nitrogen and phosphorus release from nutrient cycles and a cause of ecosystem eutrophication. Duckweeds, small aquatic plants, may be used to recover N and P from livestock slurry while producing high-quality protein feed. In order to assess N and P uptake efficiency and utility for fish feed, two duckweed species, Landoltia punctata and Spirodela polyrhiza, were grown in controlled climate chambers on two nutrient-rich media: diluted (1:10) cattle slurry and mechanically filtered household sewage. Treatments were in triplicate, each running in four cycles with fresh substrate (one week each). Spirodela polyrhiza exhibited the strongest growth (96 g fresh matter m−2 day−1) and highest protein content (306 g per kg dry matter) on diluted slurry. The weakest growth was found for L. punctata on treated sewage (52 g fresh matter m−2 day−1). Average removal of total provided and utilizable inorganic N from the media was 73.2% and 83.9% for sewage and diluted slurry, respectively. Spirodela polyrhiza grown on diluted slurry was subsequently tested as feed ingredient for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fry. Two different ingredient levels of S. polyrhiza meal (6.25% and 12.5% of feed) were fed to rainbow trout fry for 4 weeks, during which fish growth, feed and nutrient utilization and gut health were assessed. Feed was accepted, but both duckweed meal treatments resulted in 5–10% poorer growth traits and feed efficiency compared to control. The intestine somatic index was not affected. This is the first time the potential of duckweed as feed for rainbow trout fry has been demonstrated. Furthermore, our experiments found considerable N and P uptake from diluted slurry by S. polyrhiza, which produced protein at a high rate per unit time and area.

Perception, transduction, and integration of nitrogen and phosphorus nutritional signals in the transcriptional regulatory network in plants.

Nitrate and phosphate ions are major sources of nitrogen and phosphorus for plants. In addition to their vital roles as indispensable macronutrients, these ions function as signalling molecules and induce a variety of responses. Plants adapt to different levels of nutrients by altering their gene expression profile and subsequent physiological and morphological responses. Advances made in recent years have provided novel insights into plant nutrient sensing and modulation of gene expression. Key breakthroughs include elucidation of the mechanisms underlying post-translational regulation of NIN-LIKE PROTEIN (NLP) and PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE (PHR) family transcription factors, which function as master regulators of responses to nitrate and phosphate starvation, respectively. Determination of the mechanisms whereby these nutrient signals are integrated through NIGT1/HHO family proteins has likewise represented important progress. Further studies have revealed novel roles in nutrient signalling of transcription factors that have previously been shown to be associated with other signals, such as light and phytohormones. Nitrate and phosphate signals are thus transmitted through an intricate gene regulatory network with the help of various positive and negative transcriptional regulators. These complex regulatory patterns enable plants to integrate input signals from various environmental factors and trigger appropriate responses, as exemplified by the regulatory module involving NIGT1/HHO family proteins. These mechanisms collectively support nutrient homeostasis in plants.

Effects of spring fire and slope on the aboveground biomass, and organic C and N dynamics in a semi-arid grassland of northern China

The aboveground primary production is a major source of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pool and plays an important role in regulating the response of ecosystem and nutrient cycling to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. To explore the mechanisms underlying the effect of spring fire and topography on the aboveground biomass (AGB) and the soil C and N pool, we conducted a field experiment between April 2014 and August 2016 in a semi-arid grassland of northern China to examine the effects of slope and spring fire, and their potential interactions on the AGB and organic C and total N contents in different plant functional groups (C3 grasses, C4 grasses, forbs, Artemisia frigida plants, total grasses and total plants). The dynamics of AGB and the contents of organic C and N in the plants were examined in the burned and unburned plots on different slope positions (upper and lower). There were differences in the total AGB of all plants between the two slope positions. The AGB of grasses was higher on the lower slope than on the upper slope in July. On the lower slope, spring fire marginally or significantly increased the AGB of C3 grasses, forbs, total grasses and total plants in June and August, but decreased the AGB of C4 grasses and A. frigida plants from June to August. On the upper slope, however, spring fire significantly increased the AGB of forbs in June, the AGB of C3 grasses and total grasses in July, and the AGB of forbs and C4 grasses in August. Spring fire exhibited no significant effect on the total AGB of all plants on the lower and upper slopes in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, the total AGB in the burned plots showed a decreasing trend after fire burning compared with the unburned plots. The different plant functional groups had different responses to slope positions in terms of organic C and N contents in the plants. The lower and upper slopes differed with respect to the organic C and N contents of C3 grasses, C4 grasses, total grasses, forbs, A. frigida plants and total plants in different growing months. Slope position and spring fire significantly interacted to affect the AGB and organic C and N contents of C4 grasses and A. frigida plants. We observed the AGB and organic C and N contents in the plants in a temporal synchronized pattern. Spring fire affected the functional AGB on different slope positions, likely by altering the organic C and N contents and, therefore, it is an important process for C and N cycling in the semi-arid natural grasslands. The findings of this study would facilitate the simulation of ecosystem C and N cycling in the semi-arid grasslands in northern China.

Upwelling as the major source of nitrogen for shallow and deep reef‐building corals across an oceanic atoll system

AbstractOceanographic processes shape coral reefs worldwide by redistributing inorganic nutrients and particulate resources over depth. Deep‐water upwelling occurs frequently in coral reef ecosystems, but its impact on coral nutrition remains unclear.This study investigated the influence of upwelling on the trophic ecology of three common reef‐building corals (Galaxea fascicularis,Pachyseris speciosaandPocillopora verrucosa) from different reef depths (shallow reef, 10 m, vs. deep reef, 30 m) and reef exposures (oceanic rim vs. Inner Sea) across &gt; 250 km of the Maldives archipelago, Indian Ocean. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of coral hosts, their symbionts and particulate organic matter (POM) were used to characterize coral trophic strategies.Across the Maldives, consistent mean δ15N values were recorded in hosts (5.5‰) and symbionts (5.2‰) of the three coral species from shallow and deep reefs of oceanic and Inner Sea reef exposures. Coral hosts, symbionts and POM from both depths had δ15N values that were consistent with the isotopic signature of a deep‐water nitrate source transported to surface waters via upwelling.In contrast, a wide range of δ13C values (~10‰) revealed different trophic strategies and isotopic niches among the coral species. Different mean δ13C values ofG. fascicularisindicated greater symbiont autotrophy in corals from shallow (‐15.5‰) compared to deep reefs (‐17.6‰). Conversely, the mean δ13C values ofP. speciosa(‐15.1‰) andP. verrucosa(‐17.7‰) were not affected by reef depth. These corals maintained consistent trophic strategies over depth, withP. speciosarelying more on autotrophy compared toP. verrucosa.Despite different reef exposure to oceanic waters, coral host and POM δ15N and δ13C values did not differ between oceanic and Inner Sea reef exposures. Nutritional resources appear to be homogenous in the central Maldives due to atoll‐wide water circulation. However, species‐specific trophic strategies resulted in diverse patterns of δ13C values over depth. Because heterotrophic feeding has been linked to coral host survival through coral bleaching events, understanding the trophic ecology of corals within the reef assemblage can provide insight into species resilience under ocean warming conditions. As a member of the typically competitive Pocilloporidae family, the dependence ofP. verrucosaon heterotrophy may help this coral be a future “winner” under sustained ocean warming.Aplain language summaryis available for this article.

Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Formation in Atmospheric Deposition in Dianchi Lake and Their Contributions to Lake Loading

To examine the effects of seasonal changes and precipitation on the concentrations of various nitrogen and phosphorus forms in Dianchi Lake, the concentrations of various nitrogen and phosphorus forms of atmospheric deposition were determined by UV spectrophotometry. Additionally, the contributions of nitrogen and phosphorus to water pollution in Dianchi Lake were discussed. The results showed that the atmospheric depositional nitrogen concentration in Dianchi Lake is generally consistent with the characteristics of the low rainy season and high dry season. The nitrogen and phosphorus load of atmospheric deposition was positively correlated with rainfall. Seasonal changes were mainly characterized by low dry season and high rainy season. The atmospheric depositional nitrogen load was dominated by dissolved inorganic nitrogen, which accounted for 63.70% of the total nitrogen deposition load. The phosphorus load was mainly PP, which accounted for 45.54% of the total phosphorus precipitation load. Excessive fertilization and loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers are the major sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in atmospheric wet deposition. Combined with data from rivers entering the lake, the settlements of TN and TP in the atmospheric deposition of Dianchi Lake were 6.14% and 12.76% of the river load, respectively. Therefore, the primary source of pollution in Dianchi Lake was still the load brought by the river into the lake. However, the nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes in the atmospheric deposition of Dianchi Lake were at intermediate levels compared with other regions, so this contribution requires further investigation.

Deterioration in the water quality of an urbanised estuary with recommendations for improvement

Water quality characteristics of the heavily urbanised and industrialised Swartkops River and Estuary in the Eastern Cape have been the focus of several studies since the 1970s. Overloaded and poorly maintained wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), polluted stormwater runoff and solid waste have all contributed to the deterioration in the water quality of the river and estuary. The objective of this study was to determine the current water quality status of the Swartkops Estuary, by investigating spatial and temporal variability in physico-chemical parameters and phytoplankton biomass and where possiblerelate this to historical water quality data. The present study found evidence suggesting that water is not flushed as efficiently from the upper reaches of the estuary as was previously recorded. Reduced vertical mixing results in strong stratification and persistent eutrophic conditions with phytoplankton blooms (&gt; 20 μg chl a·L−1), extending from the middle reaches to the tidal head of the estuary. The Motherwell Canal was and still is a major source of nitrogen (particularly ammonium) to the estuary, but the Swartkops River is the primary source of phosphorus with excessive inputs from the cumulative effectof three WWTWs upstream. An analysis of historical water quality data in the Swartkops Estuary (1995 to 2013) shows that all recorded dissolved inorganic phosphorus measurements were classified as hypertrophic (&gt; 0.1 mg P·L−1), whereas 41% of dissolved inorganic nitrogen measurements were either mesotrophic or eutrophic. If nutrient removal methods at the three WWTWs were improved and urban runoff into the Motherwell Canal better managed, it is likely that persistent phytoplankton blooms and health risks associated with eutrophication could be reduced.