OPUS: CRS: Phytoplankton whispering- Unraveling dynamics of the phytoplankton secret garden against the backdrop of a nutrient-rich, rapidly changing world

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Phytoplankton are the engines of the Earth. They form the base of most aquatic food webs and, although microscopic, they produce most of the oxygen in the air. Many of our ideas of how these cells function were developed decades ago. Lakes and oceans, however, are changing, and so too are phytoplankton. Nutrient pollution is a major problem worldwide. The climate is also changing, altering temperature, CO2 and the oceans physical and chemical characteristics. All of these factors control which species of phytoplankton may grow well at any particular time or place. While algae grow in all types of aquatic ecosystems, not all algae are favorable for the production of fish and other food resources. The prevalence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) has increased, often leading to environmental and public health risks. This research will improve understanding of how phytoplankton communities change as the environment changes. In addition, this work will convey to researchers, students and managers how critical this information is for effective prevention and management of algal blooms. There has not yet been a synthetic summary that unravels the mysteries of phytoplankton in a modern world. This project aims to provide such a resource. In addition, this research will give a graduate student the chance to participate in synthetic writing, which will have a positive impact on their career development.Environmental changes have dramatically altered the nutrient content and stoichiometry of the ocean, changing our understanding of what is limiting and where. Moreover, we now understand that many phytoplankton are not necessarily autotrophs all the time; mixotrophy is now understood to play an important role in the growth of many taxa. This OPUS synthesis builds on decades of research by the PI, following a path that has shown the oceans as shifting from oligotrophic to eutrophic, and phytoplankton physiological nutrition as shifting from autotrophic to osmotrophic and mixotrophic, in a world that is increasingly warmer and experiencing other climate-related changes. The PI will produce a book synthesizing this work, and updating it to incorporate the impact of rapid environmental changes on phytoplankton dynamics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.