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Variable but persistent coexistence of Prochlorococcus ecotypes along temperature gradients in the ocean's surface
Jeremy W Chandler1, Yajuan Lin2, P Jackson Gainer1
1Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, M409 WLS, Knoxville, TN, 37966, USA.
Environmental Microbiology Reports
|January 9, 2016
Summary
Two Prochlorococcus ecotypes, eMED4 and eMIT9312, coexist in the ocean
Area of Science:
- Marine microbial ecology
- Oceanography
- Phytoplankton community dynamics
Background:
- Oligotrophic ocean surface waters are dominated by two Prochlorococcus ecotypes: eMED4 and eMIT9312.
- Understanding their niche partitioning is crucial for marine ecosystem studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and coexistence of eMED4 and eMIT9312 Prochlorococcus ecotypes.
- To determine if these ecotypes occupy discrete niches or exist as a continuum along environmental gradients, particularly temperature.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed large latitudinal transects in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
- Utilized quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and pyrosequencing assays.
- Analyzed ecotype ratios in relation to temperature and water column stratification.
Main Results:
- A clear temperature-driven transition in dominance was observed around 19-21°C, with eMED4 in colder and eMIT9312 in warmer waters.
- A stable log-linear relationship between ecotype ratio and temperature was found, indicating coexistence.
- Water column stratification influenced ecotype ratios, but temperature was the primary driver.
Conclusions:
- Prochlorococcus ecotypes eMED4 and eMIT9312 exhibit a stabilized coexistence driven by temperature.
- Temperature gradients dictate the dominance of these ecotypes, with a predictable shift in ratio per degree Celsius.
- Deviations from temperature correlation suggest rapid environmental changes impacting community structure.
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