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Response of a phytoplankton community to nutrient addition under different CO2 and pH conditions

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Abstract

Effects of nutrient enrichment on 400-L coastal phytoplankton community cultures were examined under 3 pCO2 levels [ambient (400), 800 and 1200 μatm]. Three days after addition of the nutrients, rapid increases in phytoplankton pigments and cell numbers were noticed. Relative growth rates of diatoms and dinoflagellates were higher than prasinophytes and haptophytes during early stages of the culture experiment, and only limited effects of increased CO2 were observed on nutrient consumption, biomass and cell numbers. Ocean acidification showed significant effects on phytoplankton composition during the post-blooming period with negligible dissolved nutrients; up to 70 % of total cells were picoplankton in the 1200-μatm condition as compared to 20 % in the ambient condition. An increase in chlorophyll b and a flow cytometry analysis of the cultured strains strongly suggested Micromonas-like (Prasinophyceae) picoplankton dominated in the acidified conditions. It is likely that the effects of ocean acidification are significant in low-nutrient conditions such as during the post-blooming period.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank staff members of the Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, for their valuable assistance during the culture experiment. This study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan (24241010), and the Global Environmental Research Fund of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Takeo Hama

  2. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Tomoki Inoue, Risa Suzuki & Hiroto Kashiwazaki

  3. Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan

    Shigeki Wada

  4. Oceanography and Geochemistry Research Department, Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0052, Japan

    Daisuke Sasano, Naohiro Kosugi & Masao Ishii

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  1. Takeo Hama
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Correspondence to Takeo Hama.

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Hama, T., Inoue, T., Suzuki, R. et al. Response of a phytoplankton community to nutrient addition under different CO2 and pH conditions. J Oceanogr 72, 207–223 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-015-0322-4

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