OCE-PRF Track 1: Dissecting the physiological and molecular responses of marine picoeukaryotes to the interactive effects of P deficiency and ocean acidification

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Picoeukaryotes are an ecologically important, but understudied group of picophytoplankton that are significant contributors to oceanic primary production and global carbon cycling. In this postdoctoral research project, the fellow will examine the physiological and molecular response of three picoeukaryotes to elevated carbon dioxide and changes in nutrient availability. This is an important and timely topic for improved understanding of marine ecosystem responses to global climate changes. This two year fellowship hosted by Michael Lomas, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, will advance the career of the fellow who has strong background in microbial research, a field that is of increasing importance in oceanography. The broadening participation activities include education and outreach to youths from a local Somalian community residing in Maine since the Somalian civil war.In this project, the fellow will study the response of Micromonas pusilla, Ostreococcus tauri, and Bathycoccus prasinos, picoeukaryotes commonly found in oligotrophic regions, to conditions representative of future oceans, specifically ocean acidification and phosphorus limitation. Physiological measurements and whole-cell transcriptomic profiling will be used to characterize the cellular response of this ecologically important group of picophytoplankton to changes in phosphorus availability and rising ambient carbon dioxide. In addition, cell abundance and gene expression patterns will be investigated in field samples using species-specific molecular assays to understand how natural picoeukaryotic populations respond to regional gradients in environmental conditions. The study will provide insight into how climate change may impact picoeukaryote growth and thus carbon cycling in oligotrophic gyres. Data and information about rate processes and underlying cellular mechanisms are critical for future development of ecologically-driven, predictive ocean ecosystem models.