Growth and Grazing Mortality of Microbial Plankton in a Shallow Temperate Coastal Lagoon (Ria Formosa, SW Iberia)
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Microzooplankton grazing is widely recognized as an important process of heterotrophic prokaryote and phytoplankton biomass removal. However, few studies have specifically addressed microbial mortality in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon. This study aimed to assess the growth and mortality of heterotrophic prokaryotes and phytoplankton in this ecosystem using the dilution technique. The results revealed significant seasonal variations in the growth and grazing rates of both heterotrophic prokaryotes and phytoplankton, with mean grazing rates slightly exceeding the mean potential instantaneous growth rates. This indicates that microzooplankton consume a substantial proportion of both microbial groups in the lagoon. For specific phytoplankton taxa, the wide range of observed grazing rates suggests grazer selectivity, highlighting the need for future research to examine the dynamics of each phytoplankton group more closely.
Source: Water
DOI: 10.3390/w16233401
Authors: Yohann Santos, Benjamin A. Mosley, Patrícia Nogueira, Helena M. Galvão, Rita B. Domingues
Institution: University of Algarve
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,955
Awards: G126421924, G1483381719, Rede de Infraestruturas em Investigação Aquática, Harmful Algal Blooms in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon: deciphering the relevance of natural and anthropogenic eutrophication, Exploring the role of silicon as a phytoplankton driver in a dam-regulated estuary, Sem título, G5309435308, G7903945180
OpenAlex ID: W4404761265