Da in the Life of Picoplankton in Dickerson Ba , FL
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)ORULGD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\/LEUDULHV 2018 A Day in the Life of Picoplankton in Dickerson Bay, FL Isabelle G Basden Follow this and additional works at DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PICOPLANKTON IN DICKERSON BAY, FL By ISABELLE BASDEN A Thesis submitted to the Department of Biological Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major Degree Awarded: Fall, 2018 The members of the Defense Committee approve the thesis of Isabelle Basden defended on November 28, 2018 ______________________________ Dr. Janie Wulff Thesis Director ______________________________ Dr. Markus Huettel Outside Committee Member ______________________________ Dr. Sophie McCoy Committee Member Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Janie Wulff for all of her guidance through out the planning and execution of this project. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Sophie McCoy and Dr. Markus Huettel, for their guidance on project design, data analysis, and writing. I would like to thank Kathleen Kaiser, Kate Hill, Alex Strawhand, Bobbie Renfro, Ashley Dawdy, Samantha Politano, Kristie Dick, Connor O’Halloran, and Ariel Basden for field assistance and data collection. I thank Ruth Didier for her assistance and patience with the flow cytometer at the Florida State University College of Medicine Flow Cytometry Facility. I thank Dr. Markus Huettel for analyzing DOC and TN in the Oceanography Department. I would like to thank Jack Rudloe and Gulf Specimen Marine Lab for allowing me to use their dock space for the picoplankton fluctuation project in Dickerson Bay. I would also like to thank Dr. Gregg Hoffman for allowing me to use his dock space to conduct the sponge feeding trials at Shell Point. This research was funded by the FSU IDEA Grant and the Bess H. Ward Honors Thesis Award. Finally I would like to thank my friends and family for their ongoing support and encouragement through out this project. Abstract Pelagic ecosystems play an important role in regulating the Earth’s biogeochemical processes. Picoplankton, cells > 2µm, are some of the most abundant plankton in the pelagic community and responsible for 44‐90% of primary production in tropical oceans. This study attempts to understand the daily fluctuations of picoplanktonic organisms in relation to the abiotic and biotic factors that may influence their dynamics by 1) analyzing the fluctuations in picoplankton community structure and density from 8am to 8pm 2) analyzing the relationship between picoplankton fluctuations and abiotic factors including light, temperature, and the tidal cycle and 3) analyzing the impact of a sponge filter feeder on picoplankton abundance. Picoplankton densities fluctuated significantly through out the day and tidal cycles and vertical mixing could play a large role in these daily dynamics. Sponge feeding can significantly decrease the density of autotrophic picoplankton and could be a form of control for picoplankton communities. Introduction Pelagic ecosystems play an important role in regulating the Earth’s biogeochemical processes. Life in marine benthic ecosystems relies on the primary production of plankton that occurs in pelagic zones. Therefore, many of the organisms found in these environments have a large ecological impact. Pelagic environments are composed of planktonic, free floating, and nektontic, swimming, organisms. Plankton can be extremely diverse and can range from microscopic bacteria or protists to larger zooplankton, such as copepods or even jellyfish. There are two size classes that compose the majority of the planktonic community in most environments; nanoplankton, cell size from 2µm‐20µm, and picoplankton, cell size < 2µm. Picoplankton are the most abundant and productive in the pelagic environment (Campbell & Vaulot, 1993; Chavez, 1989; Platt et al., 1983). Organisms that fall into the picoplankton size class include both heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms. The two main groups of autotrophic picoplankton are picoeukaryotic protists and bacterioplankton; Prochlorococcus‐like prochlorophytes and Synechococcus‐like cyanobacteria. Prochlorococcus phytoplankton (0.5‐0.7 µm) are the smallest photosynthesizers and are typically the most abundant plankton in warm, oligotrophic waters (Partensky et al., 1999). Synechococcus phytoplankton (0.6‐1.7µm) are slightly larger and can be found in cooler, more nutrient rich waters. The picoeukaryotic phytoplankton are much more diverse but less abundant than their prokaryotic counter parts (Otero‐Ferrer et al., 2018; Vaulot et al., 2008). The picoplanktonic autotrophs are the base of the marine food web and it is estimated that these phytoplankton make up 60‐80% of the planktonic biomass and 44‐90% of primary production in tropical oceans (Sherr & Sherr, 1991; Stockner & Anita, 1986). Phytoplankton capture energy from the sun to convert inorganic CO2 into organic carbon for synthesis of cellular materials. Some of the converted organic carbon is released as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via exudation (Biddanda & Benner, 1997; Fogg, Nalewajko, & Watt, 1964). This is the beginning of the microbial loop. The next step involves the heterotrophic picoplankton. Heterotrophic bacteria utilize approximately 50% of the DOC released by the autotrophic picoplankton and convert it to biomass with 60% efficiency (Fogg et al., 1964; Larsson & Hagström, 1982). This biomass can now be transferred to higher trophic levels via predation by filter feeders. Filter feeding, the process of capturing plankton and dissolved nutrients suspended in the water column, is a widely used method for acquiring food in marine environments. Filter feeding animals are crucial in marine environments because they transfer energy from pelagic to benthic environments, improve water quality preventing phytoplankton blooms, and improve water clarity, which allows for more efficient photosynthesis for corals and algae (Gili & Coma, 1998; Lesser, 2006; Peterson et al., 2006; Wulff, 2013). Filter feeders have the ability to greatly impact the planktonic community depending on their abundance, clearance rate, filtering efficiency, and grazing selectivity. Do to their small size, very few organisms can efficiency feed on picoplankton. One of the groups of picoplanktivores includes the heterotrophic microflagellates (3‐7µm). These organisms feed by creating a current with their flagella to push bacteria prey towards the cell membrane where it is phagocytized. Mucus mesh feeders, such as the Appendicularians and Thalicean salps utilize mucus nets to capture picoplanktonic prey. The only major group of benthic picoplanktivores are the sponges (Phylum Porifera). Sponges are able to filter large amounts of water efficiently due to their aquiferous system made of extensive canals. Flagellated cells, called choanocytes, pull water through incurrent pores, ostia, and into the canal system by beating the flagella. Food particles are sieved through choanocyte villi and the water exits through the excurrent pore, called the osculum. Sponges play an important role in transferring pelagic biomass to benthic ecosystems. The Earth is changing do to anthropogenic influences. As CO2 continues to be released into the atmosphere, sea surface temperatures increase and the ocean becomes more acidic. Picoplankton are directly linked to these abiotic changes in many ways. Autotrophic picoplankton are needed to convert atmospheric CO2 into DOC. Increased sea surface temperatures can cause increased prevalence of increased picoplankton growth and harmful algal blooms. Biotic interactions in the oceans are also altered by human impact; such as overfishing, introduction of invasive species, and increased disease prevalence. It has been recorded that consumers can be a major form of control for primary productivity in Lakes via trophic cascades (S R Carpenter et al., 2001; Stephen R. Carpenter & Kitchell, 1988; Vanni & Layne, 1997). Overfishing of tertiary consumers in the ocean could cause picoplankton blooms via increases in secondary consumers and therefore decreases in planktivore populations. It is important to study the fine scale fluctuations of picoplankton to better understand how these populations will be affect by future global changes. This study attempts to understand the daily fluctuations of picoplanktonic organisms in relation to the abiotic and biotic factors that may influence their dynamics by 1) analyzing the fluctuations in picoplankton community structure and density from 8am to 8pm 2) analyzing the relationship between picoplankton fluctuations and abiotic factors including light, temperature, and the tidal cycle and 3) analyzing the impact of a sponge filter feeder on picoplankton abundance. Methods: Study Site This study was conducted in the Northern Gulf of Mexico in Dickerson Bay, Panacea FL. Samples were collected from Gulf Specimen Marine Lab’s a floating dock. Water Sample Collections A HOBO data logger was deployed off of the dock to measure light intensity and temperature through out the day. Three water samples were collected six inches from the surface of the water every hour from 8am to 8pm. samples were fixed for preservation immediately after being taken. For picoplankton analysis, 1.7mL were filtered through a 100µm mesh into a 2mL cryovial and fixed with formaldehyde to a concentration of 0.5%. Samples were put on dry ice until returned to FSU in a ‐80*C