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SUMMARY: Cyanobacteria are ancient organisms that contribute significantly to primary production in aquatic ecosystems. Although they are a group of microbes present in a wide range of environments, their diversity on anthropogenic substrates, namely microplastics, is still largely unknown. In the present study, we describe a new genus and species of cyanobacteria from the Nodosilineaceae family. Strains were isolated from foam microplastic particles obtained from beach sediments facing the Singapore Strait. This species is morphologically similar to the polyphyletic, cosmopolitan Leptolyngbya spp.; however, it forms an independent clade with 16S rRNA phylogeny and has a unique 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer secondary structure. To date, no cyanobacteria have been isolated and cultured from the surfaces of microplastic particles. Using a polyphasic approach combining morphological, phylogenetic and ecological traits, we describe a new genus and species Sphaerothrix gracilis. The presence of certain cyanobacteria rafting on microplastic surfaces can potentially indicate a long‐distance transport into new ecosystems with implications on toxicity and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mid-May 2020, a coccolithophore bloom of Gephyrocapsa oceanica Kamptner, 1943 was observed in Sagami Bay, Japan, possibly for the first time in 25 years. This species is a common yet elusive taxon in the waters around Japan, but there has only been one report of a bloom observation in Sagami Bay in 1995. The G. oceanica bloom in 2020 was observed by the combined approach of the JAXA ocean color remote sensing satellite "Shikisai" and field surveys. The true-color RGB images from the satellite showed the initial bloom in Tokyo Bay appears to have advected into Sagami Bay on May 5. On May 15, ad hoc field sampling was conducted based on visual confirmation from the shore. Nitrate, nitrite and phosphate concentrations at the sea surface were 3.28 µM, 0.11 µM and 0.29 µM, respectively, and higher than the median of May from 1997 to 2019. Chlorophyll a concentration was 2.23 µg L-1 at the sea surface, and cell density was 5.3 × 10³ cells mL-¹. The large bloom appears to have reached the western shorelines of the bay, and dispersed counterclockwise within the bay. The bloom reached an estimated 1119.02 km² surface expression on May 17, and completely disappeared by May 24. Further, the median value of 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (a signature pigment of haptophytes, including coccolithophores) concentration has been increasing from 2017 to 2020, and the coastal area of Sagami Bay may have changed to a region favorable for haptophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured the concentrations of photoprotective compounds, carotenoids and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), in surface-dwelling copepods in relation to their vertical distribution patterns along a zonal transect in the subtropical North Pacific to better understand their adaptation to strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation. All the dominant copepod groups analysed had detectable levels of both photoprotective compounds, while the concentrations differed among taxonomic groups. Farranula spp. had high carotenoid and MAA content (mean carotenoids: 0.0656; mean MAAs: 0.0230 µg mg dry wt-1) and the accumulation of MAAs correlated positively with in-situ UV penetration, explaining their constant occurrence in the surface layer throughout the transect. Oncaea spp. and Acrocalanus spp. had higher levels of carotenoids than MAAs and showed variable vertical distribution patterns regardless of UV penetration, suggesting that carotenoids are used only temporally to mitigate the effect of UV radiation. In contrast, Clausocalanus spp. and Calocalanus spp. had the lowest concentrations of both photoprotective compounds (mean carotenoids: 0.0148 and 0.0209; mean MAAs: 0.0015 and 0.0029 µg mg dry wt-1). The mean weighted depth of Clausocalanus spp. showed a significant negative relationship with UV penetration, suggesting that they mitigated the harmful effects of UV radiation through behavioural responses. Calocalanus spp. may have adapted to subtropical surface waters with relatively low photoprotective compound concentrations. Our study demonstrated that surface-dwelling subtropical copepods exhibit taxon-specific patterns in photoprotective compound concentrations that are adaptations to intense UV radiation, which is crucial for understanding the high species diversity of copepod communities in subtropical open waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]