A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea

Tom Reich; Tal Ben-Ezra; Natalya Belkin; Anat Tsemel; Dikla Aharonovich; Dalit Roth-Rosenberg; Shira Givati; M. Bialik; Barak Herut; Ilana Berman-Frank; Miguel Frada; Michael D. Krom; Yoav Lehahn; Eyal Rahav; Daniel Sher

doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720

A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea

Tom Reich, Tal Ben-Ezra, Natalya Belkin, Anat Tsemel, Dikla Aharonovich, Dalit Roth-Rosenberg, Shira Givati, M. Bialik, Barak Herut, Ilana Berman-Frank, Miguel Frada, Michael D. Krom, Yoav Lehahn, Eyal Rahav^*, Daniel Sher^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is a poorly studied ultra-oligotrophic marine environment, dominated by small-size phyto- and bacterioplankton. Here, we describe the dynamics of a single annual cycle (2018–19) of phyto- and bacterioplankton (abundances, pigments and productivity) in relation to the physical and chemical conditions in the photic water column at an offshore EMS site (Station THEMO-2, ∼1,500 m depth, 50 km offshore). We show that phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a), primary and bacterial productivity differed between the mixed winter (January–April) and the thermally stratified (May–December) periods. Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus numerically dominated the picophytoplankton populations, with each clade revealing different temporal and depth changes indicative to them, while pico-eukaryotes (primarily haptophytes) were less abundant, yet likely contributed significant biomass. Estimated primary productivity (∼32 gC m⁻² y⁻¹) was lower compared with other well-studied oligotrophic locations, including the north Atlantic and Pacific (BATS and HOT observatories), the western Mediterranean (DYFAMED observatory) and the Red Sea, and was on-par with the ultra-oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre. In contrast, integrated bacterial production (∼11 gC m⁻² y⁻¹) was similar to other oligotrophic locations. Phytoplankton seasonal dynamics were similar to those at BATS and the Red Sea, suggesting an observable effect of winter mixing in this ultra-oligotrophic location. These results highlight the ultra-oligotrophic conditions in the EMS and provide, for the first time in this region, a full-year baseline and context to ocean observatories in the region.

Original language	American English
Article number	103720
Journal	Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Volume	182
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720
State	Published - Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B–F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa).

Funding Information:
We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B?F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Bacterial productivity
Eastern mediterranean
Levantine basin
Phytoplankton
Pico-eukaryotes
Primary productivity
Prochlorococcus
Seasonal dynamics
Synechococcus

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720

Cite this

Reich, T., Ben-Ezra, T., Belkin, N., Tsemel, A., Aharonovich, D., Roth-Rosenberg, D., Givati, S., Bialik, M., Herut, B., Berman-Frank, I., Frada, M., Krom, M. D., Lehahn, Y., Rahav, E., & Sher, D. (2022). A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea. Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 182, Article 103720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720

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title = "A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea",

abstract = "The Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is a poorly studied ultra-oligotrophic marine environment, dominated by small-size phyto- and bacterioplankton. Here, we describe the dynamics of a single annual cycle (2018–19) of phyto- and bacterioplankton (abundances, pigments and productivity) in relation to the physical and chemical conditions in the photic water column at an offshore EMS site (Station THEMO-2, ∼1,500 m depth, 50 km offshore). We show that phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a), primary and bacterial productivity differed between the mixed winter (January–April) and the thermally stratified (May–December) periods. Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus numerically dominated the picophytoplankton populations, with each clade revealing different temporal and depth changes indicative to them, while pico-eukaryotes (primarily haptophytes) were less abundant, yet likely contributed significant biomass. Estimated primary productivity (∼32 gC m−2 y−1) was lower compared with other well-studied oligotrophic locations, including the north Atlantic and Pacific (BATS and HOT observatories), the western Mediterranean (DYFAMED observatory) and the Red Sea, and was on-par with the ultra-oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre. In contrast, integrated bacterial production (∼11 gC m−2 y−1) was similar to other oligotrophic locations. Phytoplankton seasonal dynamics were similar to those at BATS and the Red Sea, suggesting an observable effect of winter mixing in this ultra-oligotrophic location. These results highlight the ultra-oligotrophic conditions in the EMS and provide, for the first time in this region, a full-year baseline and context to ocean observatories in the region.",

keywords = "Bacterial productivity, Eastern mediterranean, Levantine basin, Phytoplankton, Pico-eukaryotes, Primary productivity, Prochlorococcus, Seasonal dynamics, Synechococcus",

author = "Tom Reich and Tal Ben-Ezra and Natalya Belkin and Anat Tsemel and Dikla Aharonovich and Dalit Roth-Rosenberg and Shira Givati and M. Bialik and Barak Herut and Ilana Berman-Frank and Miguel Frada and Krom, {Michael D.} and Yoav Lehahn and Eyal Rahav and Daniel Sher",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B–F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa). Funding Information: We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B?F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

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doi = "10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720",

language = "American English",

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Reich, T, Ben-Ezra, T, Belkin, N, Tsemel, A, Aharonovich, D, Roth-Rosenberg, D, Givati, S, Bialik, M, Herut, B, Berman-Frank, I, Frada, M, Krom, MD, Lehahn, Y, Rahav, E & Sher, D 2022, 'A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea', Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, vol. 182, 103720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720

TY - JOUR

T1 - A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean

T2 - Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea

AU - Reich, Tom

AU - Ben-Ezra, Tal

AU - Belkin, Natalya

AU - Tsemel, Anat

AU - Aharonovich, Dikla

AU - Roth-Rosenberg, Dalit

AU - Givati, Shira

AU - Bialik, M.

AU - Herut, Barak

AU - Berman-Frank, Ilana

AU - Frada, Miguel

AU - Krom, Michael D.

AU - Lehahn, Yoav

AU - Rahav, Eyal

AU - Sher, Daniel

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B–F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa). Funding Information: We thank the captains and crew of the R/V Mediterranean Explorer (EcoOcean) and R/V Bat-Galim (IOLR), Oshra Yosef, Elad Rachmilovitz, Guy Sisma-Ventura for help with the sampling. The SoMMoS ship-time was funded by the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences with help from EcoOcean and IOLR. This study was supported by grant RGP0020/2016 from the Human Frontiers Science Program (to DS), by grant number 1635070/2016532 from the NSF-BSF program in Oceanography (NSFOCE-BSF, to DS), and partly by the Israel Science Foundation (grants number 1211/17 to ER and BH and 996/08 to I. B?F and B.H). This study is in partial fulfilment of the M. Sc. thesis of Tom Reich (University of Haifa). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2022/4

Y1 - 2022/4

N2 - The Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is a poorly studied ultra-oligotrophic marine environment, dominated by small-size phyto- and bacterioplankton. Here, we describe the dynamics of a single annual cycle (2018–19) of phyto- and bacterioplankton (abundances, pigments and productivity) in relation to the physical and chemical conditions in the photic water column at an offshore EMS site (Station THEMO-2, ∼1,500 m depth, 50 km offshore). We show that phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a), primary and bacterial productivity differed between the mixed winter (January–April) and the thermally stratified (May–December) periods. Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus numerically dominated the picophytoplankton populations, with each clade revealing different temporal and depth changes indicative to them, while pico-eukaryotes (primarily haptophytes) were less abundant, yet likely contributed significant biomass. Estimated primary productivity (∼32 gC m−2 y−1) was lower compared with other well-studied oligotrophic locations, including the north Atlantic and Pacific (BATS and HOT observatories), the western Mediterranean (DYFAMED observatory) and the Red Sea, and was on-par with the ultra-oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre. In contrast, integrated bacterial production (∼11 gC m−2 y−1) was similar to other oligotrophic locations. Phytoplankton seasonal dynamics were similar to those at BATS and the Red Sea, suggesting an observable effect of winter mixing in this ultra-oligotrophic location. These results highlight the ultra-oligotrophic conditions in the EMS and provide, for the first time in this region, a full-year baseline and context to ocean observatories in the region.

AB - The Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is a poorly studied ultra-oligotrophic marine environment, dominated by small-size phyto- and bacterioplankton. Here, we describe the dynamics of a single annual cycle (2018–19) of phyto- and bacterioplankton (abundances, pigments and productivity) in relation to the physical and chemical conditions in the photic water column at an offshore EMS site (Station THEMO-2, ∼1,500 m depth, 50 km offshore). We show that phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a), primary and bacterial productivity differed between the mixed winter (January–April) and the thermally stratified (May–December) periods. Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus numerically dominated the picophytoplankton populations, with each clade revealing different temporal and depth changes indicative to them, while pico-eukaryotes (primarily haptophytes) were less abundant, yet likely contributed significant biomass. Estimated primary productivity (∼32 gC m−2 y−1) was lower compared with other well-studied oligotrophic locations, including the north Atlantic and Pacific (BATS and HOT observatories), the western Mediterranean (DYFAMED observatory) and the Red Sea, and was on-par with the ultra-oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre. In contrast, integrated bacterial production (∼11 gC m−2 y−1) was similar to other oligotrophic locations. Phytoplankton seasonal dynamics were similar to those at BATS and the Red Sea, suggesting an observable effect of winter mixing in this ultra-oligotrophic location. These results highlight the ultra-oligotrophic conditions in the EMS and provide, for the first time in this region, a full-year baseline and context to ocean observatories in the region.

KW - Bacterial productivity

KW - Eastern mediterranean

KW - Levantine basin

KW - Phytoplankton

KW - Pico-eukaryotes

KW - Primary productivity

KW - Prochlorococcus

KW - Seasonal dynamics

KW - Synechococcus

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DO - 10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103720

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85124981884

SN - 0967-0637

VL - 182

JO - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

JF - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

M1 - 103720

ER -

A year in the life of the Eastern Mediterranean: Monthly dynamics of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in an ultra-oligotrophic sea

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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