1. Effects of experimental sediment resuspension on protozooplankton grazing activity: implication for the planktonic food web structure
- Author
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Kaouther Mejri Kousri, Marouan Meddeb, Boutheina Grami, Sondes Melliti Ben Garali, Oumayma Chkili, Inès Sahraoui, Catherine Gonzalez, Chrystelle Montigny, Olivier Pringault, Asma Sakka Hlaili, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte [Université de Carthage], Université de Carthage - University of Carthage, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer [Salammbô] (INSTM), Université de Tunis El Manar (UTM), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), IMT Mines Alès - ERT (ERT), IMT - MINES ALES (IMT - MINES ALES), Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] (IMT)-Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] (IMT)-Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Institut méditerranéen d'océanologie (MIO), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Toulon (UTLN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Tunis El Manar, and ANR-13-CESA-0000,RISCO
- Subjects
Planktonic food webs ,Dilution methods ,Mediterranean Lagoon ,Growth rates ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,Protozooplankton grazing ,Aquatic Science ,Sediment resuspension ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
International audience; The effects of sediment elutriate, prepared from a sediment resuspension simulation process, on the growth of bacterioplankton and of different sized phytoplankton as well as on their grazing by protozooplankton were investigated in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems during spring phytoplankton bloom. In parallel, the response of bacterioplankton, phytoplankton and protozooplankton to sediment elutriate enrichment was assessed in microcosm experiments. Elutriate addition provoked a high enrichment in nutriments of the overlying water, particularly in ammonium, dissolved organic matter but also in trace metal elements and herbicides. Overall, elutriate addition significantly increased the biomass of bacterioplankton and of total phytoplankton, but the phytoplankton size fractions responded differently to elutriate enrichment. The picophytoplankton showed a significant strong enhancement in both growth and production rates, relatively to control, while these rates significantly decreased for nano- and microphytoplankton. Accordingly, the phytoplankton size structure shifted in elutriate microcosm toward a dominance of the picophytoplankton concomitant with a significant reduction in larger size fractions. The elutriate addition caused also a clear shift in the taxonomic composition of protozooplankton, associated with a significant modification of its functional diversity, with the dominance of pico-sized cell consumers (such as aloricate ciliates, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and mixotrophic dinoflagellates) in the detriment of grazers of nano- and microphytoplankton (such as heterotrophic dinoflagellate). The protozooplankton grazing on small prey (bacterioplankton and picophytoplankton) increased, while feeding on nano- and micro-sized phytoplankton decreased after elutriate addition. These results have implication for the carbon transfer pathway, which could change from an herbivorous food web to a microbial food web, influencing so the exportation of biogenic carbon through the other trophic compartments.
- Published
- 2023
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