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Limited sinking of Phaeocystis during a 12 days sediment trap study
Author(s) -
Wolf Christian,
Iversen Morten,
Klaas Christine,
Metfies Katja
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.13697
Subject(s) - sediment trap , water column , biology , sediment , sedimentation , oceanography , pyrosequencing , ecology , algae , abundance (ecology) , phytoplankton , nutrient , paleontology , biochemistry , gene , geology
There is a controversy discussion about the contribution of the genus Phaeocystis to the vertical carbon export with evidence for and against sedimentation of Phaeocystis . So far, the presence of Phaeocystis in sinking matter was investigated with methods depending on morphological features (microscopy) and fast degradable substances (biochemical analyses). In this study, we determine the occurrence and abundance of Phaeocystis antarctica in short‐term sediment traps and the overlying water column during a 12‐day time period in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean with 454‐pyrosequencing and microscopy counting. In the sediment trap samples, we only found few sequences belonging to Phaeocystis , which was not reflecting the situation in the water column above. The cell counts showed the same results. We conclude that Phaeocystis cells are not generally transported downwards by active sinking or other sinking processes.