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Environmental stability affects phenotypic evolution in a globally distributed marine picoplankton.
C-Elisa Schaum1,2, Björn Rost3, Sinéad Collins1
1Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
The ISME Journal
|July 1, 2015
Summary
Environmental fluctuations significantly impact marine phytoplankton evolution. Fluctuating high CO2 conditions led to smaller cell sizes and reduced C:N ratios in Ostreococcus, affecting marine food webs.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Climate change science
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Marine phytoplankton exhibit rapid evolution due to large populations and fast generation times.
- Climate change involves environmental fluctuations, yet experimental evolution studies often use stable conditions.
- Previous research has not fully explored the role of environmental variability in phytoplankton trait evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of environmental fluctuations on phytoplankton traits.
- To quantify changes in C:N ratios and cell size under fluctuating versus stable high CO2.
- To assess trait variability within the globally distributed Ostreococcus species.
Main Methods:
- Evolving 16 distinct Ostreococcus lineages for 400 generations.
- Exposing lineages to stable high CO2 (SH) and fluctuating high CO2 (FH) conditions.
- Measuring changes in cell size and C:N ratios.
Main Results:
- Both high CO2 and environmental fluctuations drove evolutionary changes.
- Phytoplankton evolved under fluctuating high CO2 (FH) exhibited smaller cell sizes.
- FH-evolved lineages showed reduced C:N ratios and a stronger response to further CO2 increases compared to SH-evolved lineages.
Conclusions:
- Environmental fluctuations are a critical factor in marine phytoplankton evolution under climate change.
- Fluctuating CO2 conditions alter key phytoplankton traits, impacting marine biogeochemical cycles.
- Understanding these evolutionary responses is vital for predicting future marine ecosystem dynamics.
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