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Does freshening of surface water enhance heterotrophic prokaryote production in the western Arctic? Empirical evidence from the Canada Basin during September 2009

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Abstract

This study examined possible environmental factors that affect prokaryote variables in surface waters (upper 100 m of water column) in the Canada Basin, western Arctic Ocean. We collected data on prokaryote abundance and heterotrophic production ([3H]leucine incorporation) at eight stations deployed along a slope-to-offshore transect during September 2009. Prokaryote production and growth tended to increase with increasing chlorophyll a (Chl. a) and temperature and with decreasing salinity. The combination of Chl. a, temperature, and salinity accounted for a large fraction (74%) of the variability in prokaryote production, with the highest contribution made by Chl. a (r 2 = 0.56), followed by salinity (r 2 = 0.14) and temperature (r 2 = 0.03). Similarly, the variability in prokaryote growth rate was largely accounted for by the combination of the three environmental variables (overall r 2 of 0.64), with Chl. a making the largest contribution to variability (r 2 = 0.33), followed by salinity (r 2 = 0.27) and temperature (r 2 = 0.05). These data are consistent with the notion that organic matter supply associated with freshwater inputs to surface layers can result in enhanced prokaryote production and growth in the Canada Basin. Our results provide insights into the regulation of the microbial loop in the Canada Basin where freshening has been proceeding rapidly due to increasing river discharge and sea-ice melting.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the captain, officers, and crew of R/V Mirai and members of Marine Works Japan, Ltd., for their dedicated support during the cruise. We are also grateful for the assistance of all the colleagues who joined the MR09-03 cruise. K. Hamasaki helped coordinate this research and M. Idichi assisted with counting prokaryotes. Y. Yang provided useful information regarding flow cytometric analyses of prokaryotes. This study was financially supported by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) grant awarded to TN (20310010) and by a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) grant awarded to HO (18067007). Financial support was also provided by a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant awarded to MU.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan

    Mario Uchimiya, Hideki Fukuda, Hiroshi Ogawa & Toshi Nagata

  2. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan

    Shigeto Nishino & Takashi Kikuchi

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  1. Mario Uchimiya
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  2. Hideki Fukuda
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  3. Shigeto Nishino
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  4. Takashi Kikuchi
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  5. Hiroshi Ogawa
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  6. Toshi Nagata
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Correspondence to Mario Uchimiya.

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Uchimiya, M., Fukuda, H., Nishino, S. et al. Does freshening of surface water enhance heterotrophic prokaryote production in the western Arctic? Empirical evidence from the Canada Basin during September 2009. J Oceanogr 67, 589–599 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-011-0059-7

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