Nitrogen source and availability regulate plastic population dynamics in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.

Mar Environ Res

The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address:

Published: November 2024

Variation in nitrogen (N) availability significantly influences population dynamics and the productivity of marine phytoplankton. As N availability in the ocean is conditioned by the N source, it is important to understand the capacity of phytoplankton organisms to adjust their physiology and dynamics under different N conditions. We investigated the growth dynamics of Thalassiosira weissflogii, a coastal diatom, in response to different N sources (Nitrate, NO; Ammonium, NH; urea, CHNO) and availabilities (45 and 5 μM). Our findings demonstrate that T. weissflogii can display plastic adjustments in population dynamics to different N sources. These responses evidenced a greater preference for NH and urea than NO, particularly under high N availability. The relative growth rate (μ) is higher (1.18 ± 0.01) under NH-high treatment compared to NO-high (1.01 ± 0.01). The carrying capacity (K) varied only among concentrations, indicating equal N utilization efficiency for biomass production. No effects of N source were detected under the low concentration, suggesting that the preference for NH₄⁺ and urea was diminished by limited nitrogen supply due to potential interactions. These results provide valuable insights into the physiological flexibility of T. weissflogii to varying N conditions, shedding light on the ecological success and resilience of this species in highly variable coastal environments.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106733DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

population dynamics
12
thalassiosira weissflogii
8
dynamics
5
nitrogen source
4
availability
4
source availability
4
availability regulate
4
regulate plastic
4
plastic population
4
dynamics marine
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!