Collaborative Research: Reproductive Periodicity in Planktonic Sarcodines: Implications for Temporal Variability in Abundance and Flux

9317739迈克尔斯含共生体的浮游肉毒藻(棘藻、放射虫和有孔虫)是海洋群落表层水域中最显著的微型/大型浮游动物类群之一。它们在这些环境中的能量流动、营养循环和垂直通量中的重要性也是研究最少的之一。浮游肉毒藻在海洋浮游生物群落中70um生物(通过其细胞内共生藻类)生产有机物质方面发挥着重要作用。此外，由于它们的体积很大(因此它们的下沉速度可能很快)，它们在混合层的物质通量方面也发挥着比它们对浮游生物量的总体贡献所预测的更大的作用。以往的研究表明，混合层中肉毒碱物质的表面生产力和通量具有很大的变异性，这可能与某些共生浮游肉毒藻的繁殖周期有关，也可能与导致种群快速增长的事件有关。该项目将检验这一假设，并确定这些周期在多大程度上控制浮游生物对百慕大附近贫营养大西洋表层水域初级生产的重要性以及它们从该地点表层水域流出的重要性的时间变化。含有共生体的浮游肉毒藻(棘藻、放射虫和有孔虫)是海洋群落表层水体中最显著的微型/大型浮游动物类群之一。它们在这些环境中的能量流动、营养循环和垂直通量中的重要性也是研究最少的之一。浮游肉毒藻在海洋浮游生物群落中70um生物(通过其细胞内共生藻类)生产有机物质方面发挥着重要作用。此外，由于它们的大小(因此它们的沉降率也很快)，它们在混合层的物质通量中也发挥着比它们对浮游生物量的总体贡献所预测的更大的作用。以往的研究表明，混合层中肉毒碱物质的表面生产力和通量具有很大的变异性，这可能与某些共生浮游肉毒藻的繁殖周期有关，也可能与导致种群快速增长的事件有关。该项目将检验这一假设，并确定这些周期在多大程度上控制浮游生物对百慕大附近贫营养大西洋表层水域初级生产的重要性以及它们从该地点表层水域流出的重要性的时间变化。***

9317739 Michaels The symbiont-bearing planktonic sarcodines (Acantharia, Radiolaria and Foraminifera) are one of the most conspicuous groups of micro- /macrozooplankton in the surface waters of oceanic communities. They are also one of the least studied for their importance in energy flow, nutrient cycles and vertical fluxes in these environments. Planktonic sarcodines play an important role in the production of organic material by organisms 70 um in oceanic plankton communities (via their intracellular symbiotic algae). Moreover, by virtue of their large size (and consequently their potentially rapid sinking rates) they also play a greater role in the flux of material out of the mixed layer than would be predicted by their overall contribution to planktonic biomass. Previous studies indicate great variability in the surface productivity and flux of sarcodine material out of the mixed layer that may be related to the reproductive periodicities of some species of symbiont-bearing planktonic sarcodines or to episodic events leading to rapid population growth. This project will test this hypothesis, and determine the extent to which these periodicities control the temporal changes in the importance of planktonic sarcodines to primary production in the surface waters of the oligotrophic Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, and to their flux out of the surface waters at this site. *** The symbiont-bearing planktonic sarcodines (Acantharia, Radiolaria and Foraminifera) are one of the most conspicuous groups of micro- /macrozooplankton in the surface waters of oceanic communities. They are also one of the least studied for their importance in energy flow, nutrient cycles and vertical fluxes in these environments. Planktonic sarcodines play an important role in the production of organic material by organisms 70 um in oceanic plankton communities (via their intracellular symbiotic algae). Moreover, by virtue of their large size (and consequently their po tentially rapid sinking rates) they also play a greater role in the flux of material out of the mixed layer than would be predicted by their overall contribution to planktonic biomass. Previous studies indicate great variability in the surface productivity and flux of sarcodine material out of the mixed layer that may be related to the reproductive periodicities of some species of symbiont-bearing planktonic sarcodines or to episodic events leading to rapid population growth. This project will test this hypothesis, and determine the extent to which these periodicities control the temporal changes in the importance of planktonic sarcodines to primary production in the surface waters of the oligotrophic Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, and to their flux out of the surface waters at this site. ***