Nitrogen source and availability regulate plastic population dynamics in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.
Mar Environ Res
; 202: 106733, 2024 Sep 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39255628
ABSTRACT
Variation in nitrogen (N) availability significantly influences population dynamics and the productivity of marine phytoplankton. As N availability in the ocean is conditioned by the N source, it is important to understand the capacity of phytoplankton organisms to adjust their physiology and dynamics under different N conditions. We investigated the growth dynamics of Thalassiosira weissflogii, a coastal diatom, in response to different N sources (Nitrate, NO3-; Ammonium, NH4+; urea, CH4N2O) and availabilities (45 and 5 µM). Our findings demonstrate that T. weissflogii can display plastic adjustments in population dynamics to different N sources. These responses evidenced a greater preference for NH4+ and urea than NO3-, particularly under high N availability. The relative growth rate (µ) is higher (1.18 ± 0.01) under NH4+-high treatment compared to NO3--high (1.01 ± 0.01). The carrying capacity (K) varied only among concentrations, indicating equal N utilization efficiency for biomass production. No effects of N source were detected under the low concentration, suggesting that the preference for NH4⺠and urea was diminished by limited nitrogen supply due to potential interactions. These results provide valuable insights into the physiological flexibility of T. weissflogii to varying N conditions, shedding light on the ecological success and resilience of this species in highly variable coastal environments.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Mar Environ Res
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
United kingdom