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An evaluation of surge uptake capability in the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in response to pulses of three different forms of nitrogen

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Abstract

This study examined the capacity of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, to exhibit surge uptake as a mechanism to enhance nitrogen assimilation during seasons when nitrate is depleted. Surge uptake of nitrate, ammonium, and urea was assessed in the spring and summer with whole-blade incubation experiments using 15 N tracers. The incubation experiments showed evidence of surge uptake lasting up to 5 min for ammonium and 1 min for nitrate during the summer only. Giant kelp showed little capacity for surge uptake of urea regardless of season. The ecological importance of the patterns of surge uptake observed for ammonium and nitrate, however, is questionable, given the small scale and ephemeral nature of ammonium pulses most likely experienced by giant kelp, and the longer duration pulses of nitrate associated with internal waves and upwelling. Rather it seems more likely that uptake of ammonium and urea at ambient concentrations, combined with normal uptake of nitrate during longer duration pulses of high concentrations, sustains giant kelp growth during seasons when ambient concentrations of nitrate are low.

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Data and metadata are available from the data portal of the Environmental Data Initiative at https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-sbc&identifier=142

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jason Smith for stimulating discussions on nitrogen physiology in marine algae and guidance during our preliminary investigations of surge uptake, and C. Nelson and S. Sampson for assistance with field and laboratory sampling and logistics. We are grateful to G. Paradis for providing access and technical training in EA-IRMS. Funding was provided by the U. S. National Science Foundation in support of the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research program and the U. S, Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) MARINER program.

Funding

Funding was provided by the U. S. National Science Foundation in support of the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research program and the U. S, Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) MARINER program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Tiffany Hiroko Cedeno

  2. Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Tiffany Hiroko Cedeno, Mark A. Brzezinski, Robert J. Miller & Daniel C. Reed

  3. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Mark A. Brzezinski

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  1. Tiffany Hiroko Cedeno
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THC performed the experiments and chemical analyses. THC and DCR analyzed the data. All authors contributed to the study design and manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to Daniel C. Reed.

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Giant kelp blades used in experiments were collected under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Scientific Collecting Permit no. 11964 to SBC LTER.

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Cedeno, T.H., Brzezinski, M.A., Miller, R.J. et al. An evaluation of surge uptake capability in the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in response to pulses of three different forms of nitrogen. Mar Biol 168, 166 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03975-z

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