Articles | Volume 9, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-9-489-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-9-489-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Springtime contribution of dinitrogen fixation to primary production across the Mediterranean Sea
E. Rahav
Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
B. Herut
Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel
A. Levi
Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
M. R. Mulholland
Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Old Dominion University, 4600 Elkhorn Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23 529-0276, USA
I. Berman-Frank
Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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Maxim Rubin-Blum, Eyal Rahav, Guy Sisma-Ventura, Yana Yudkovski, Zoya Harbozov, Or Bialik, Oded Ezra, Anneleen Foubert, Barak Herut, and Yizhaq Makovsky
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1285, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1285, 2024
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Geochemical cycles and biodiversity are altered at transition zones of chemosynthetic ecosystems, chemotones. We asked if burrowing alters the functionality of these habitats. We surveyed the seafloor, analyzed sediment properties, and explored microbial communities in ghost shrimp burrows. We made an exciting discovery of chemosynthetic biofilms, linking them to macromolecule turnover and nutrient cycling, using metagenomics. This phenomenon may play an important role in biogeochemical cycles.
Zhibo Shao, Yangchun Xu, Hua Wang, Weicheng Luo, Lice Wang, Yuhong Huang, Nona Sheila R. Agawin, Ayaz Ahmed, Mar Benavides, Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia, Ilana Berman-Frank, Hugo Berthelot, Isabelle C. Biegala, Mariana B. Bif, Antonio Bode, Sophie Bonnet, Deborah A. Bronk, Mark V. Brown, Lisa Campbell, Douglas G. Capone, Edward J. Carpenter, Nicolas Cassar, Bonnie X. Chang, Dreux Chappell, Yuh-ling Lee Chen, Matthew J. Church, Francisco M. Cornejo-Castillo, Amália Maria Sacilotto Detoni, Scott C. Doney, Cecile Dupouy, Marta Estrada, Camila Fernandez, Bieito Fernández-Castro, Debany Fonseca-Batista, Rachel A. Foster, Ken Furuya, Nicole Garcia, Kanji Goto, Jesús Gago, Mary R. Gradoville, M. Robert Hamersley, Britt A. Henke, Cora Hörstmann, Amal Jayakumar, Zhibing Jiang, Shuh-Ji Kao, David M. Karl, Leila R. Kittu, Angela N. Knapp, Sanjeev Kumar, Julie LaRoche, Hongbin Liu, Jiaxing Liu, Caroline Lory, Carolin R. Löscher, Emilio Marañón, Lauren F. Messer, Matthew M. Mills, Wiebke Mohr, Pia H. Moisander, Claire Mahaffey, Robert Moore, Beatriz Mouriño-Carballido, Margaret R. Mulholland, Shin-ichiro Nakaoka, Joseph A. Needoba, Eric J. Raes, Eyal Rahav, Teodoro Ramírez-Cárdenas, Christian Furbo Reeder, Lasse Riemann, Virginie Riou, Julie C. Robidart, Vedula V. S. S. Sarma, Takuya Sato, Himanshu Saxena, Corday Selden, Justin R. Seymour, Dalin Shi, Takuhei Shiozaki, Arvind Singh, Rachel E. Sipler, Jun Sun, Koji Suzuki, Kazutaka Takahashi, Yehui Tan, Weiyi Tang, Jean-Éric Tremblay, Kendra Turk-Kubo, Zuozhu Wen, Angelicque E. White, Samuel T. Wilson, Takashi Yoshida, Jonathan P. Zehr, Run Zhang, Yao Zhang, and Ya-Wei Luo
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3673–3709, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3673-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3673-2023, 2023
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N2 fixation by marine diazotrophs is an important bioavailable N source to the global ocean. This updated global oceanic diazotroph database increases the number of in situ measurements of N2 fixation rates, diazotrophic cell abundances, and nifH gene copy abundances by 184 %, 86 %, and 809 %, respectively. Using the updated database, the global marine N2 fixation rate is estimated at 223 ± 30 Tg N yr−1, which triplicates that using the original database.
Natalia Belkin, Tamar Guy-Haim, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Ayah Lazar, Guy Sisma-Ventura, Rainer Kiko, Arseniy R. Morov, Tal Ozer, Isaac Gertman, Barak Herut, and Eyal Rahav
Ocean Sci., 18, 693–715, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-693-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-693-2022, 2022
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We studied how distinct water circulations that elevate (cyclone) or descend (anticyclone) water from the upper ocean affect the biomass, activity and diversity of planktonic microorganisms in the impoverished eastern Mediterranean. We show that cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies differ in their community composition and production. Moreover, the anticyclone may be a potential bio-invasion and dispersal vector, while the cyclone may serve as a thermal refugee for native species.
Tamar Guy-Haim, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Eyal Rahav, Natalia Belkin, Jacob Silverman, and Guy Sisma-Ventura
Biogeosciences, 17, 5489–5511, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5489-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5489-2020, 2020
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The availability of nutrients in oligotrophic marine ecosystems is limited. Following jellyfish blooms, large die-off events result in the release of high amounts of nutrients to the water column and sediment. Our study assessed the decomposition effects of an infamous invasive jellyfish in the ultra-oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea. We found that jellyfish decomposition favored heterotrophic bacteria and altered biogeochemical fluxes, further impoverishing this nutrient-poor ecosystem.
Ilana Berman-Frank, Dina Spungin, Eyal Rahav, France Van Wambeke, Kendra Turk-Kubo, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 13, 3793–3805, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In the marine environment, sticky sugar-containing gels, termed transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), are produced from biological sources and physical and chemical processes. These compounds are essential vectors enhancing downward flow of organic matter and its storage at depth. Spatial and temporal dynamics of TEPs were followed for 23 days during the VAHINE mesocosm experiment that investigated the fate of nitrogen and carbon derived from organisms fixing atmospheric N2 (diazotrophs).
Sophie Bonnet, Hugo Berthelot, Kendra Turk-Kubo, Sarah Fawcett, Eyal Rahav, Stéphane L'Helguen, and Ilana Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences, 13, 2653–2673, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2653-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2653-2016, 2016
Short summary
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N2 fixation rates were measured daily in ~ 50 m3 mesocosms deployed in New Caledonia to investigate the high-frequency dynamics of diazotrophy and the fate of diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) oligotrophic ecosystems. ~ 10 % of UCYN-C from the water column were exported daily to the traps, representing as much as 22.4 ± 5.5 % of the total POC exported at the height of the UCYN-C bloom. 16 ± 6 % of the DDN was released to the dissolved pool and 21 ± 4 % was transferred to non-diazotrophic plankton.
E. Rahav, B. Herut, M. R. Mulholland, B. Voß, D. Stazic, C. Steglich, W. R. Hess, and I. Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-10327-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-10327-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
S. Efrati, Y. Lehahn, E. Rahav, N. Kress, B. Herut, I. Gertman, R. Goldman, T. Ozer, M. Lazar, and E. Heifetz
Biogeosciences, 10, 3349–3357, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3349-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3349-2013, 2013
Nir Haim, Vika Grigorieva, Rotem Soffer, Boaz Mayzel, Timor Katz, Ronen Alkalay, Eli Biton, Ayah Lazar, Hezi Gildor, Ilana Berman-Frank, Yishai Weinstein, Barak Herut, and Yaron Toledo
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2659–2668, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2659-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2659-2024, 2024
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This paper outlines the process of creating an open-access surface wave dataset, drawing from deep-sea research station observations located 50 km off the coast of Israel. The discussion covers the wave monitoring procedure, from instrument configuration to wave field retrieval, and aspects of quality assurance. The dataset presented spans over 5 years, offering uncommon in situ wave measurements in the deep sea, and addresses the existing gap in wave information within the region.
Maxim Rubin-Blum, Eyal Rahav, Guy Sisma-Ventura, Yana Yudkovski, Zoya Harbozov, Or Bialik, Oded Ezra, Anneleen Foubert, Barak Herut, and Yizhaq Makovsky
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1285, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1285, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Geochemical cycles and biodiversity are altered at transition zones of chemosynthetic ecosystems, chemotones. We asked if burrowing alters the functionality of these habitats. We surveyed the seafloor, analyzed sediment properties, and explored microbial communities in ghost shrimp burrows. We made an exciting discovery of chemosynthetic biofilms, linking them to macromolecule turnover and nutrient cycling, using metagenomics. This phenomenon may play an important role in biogeochemical cycles.
Zhibo Shao, Yangchun Xu, Hua Wang, Weicheng Luo, Lice Wang, Yuhong Huang, Nona Sheila R. Agawin, Ayaz Ahmed, Mar Benavides, Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia, Ilana Berman-Frank, Hugo Berthelot, Isabelle C. Biegala, Mariana B. Bif, Antonio Bode, Sophie Bonnet, Deborah A. Bronk, Mark V. Brown, Lisa Campbell, Douglas G. Capone, Edward J. Carpenter, Nicolas Cassar, Bonnie X. Chang, Dreux Chappell, Yuh-ling Lee Chen, Matthew J. Church, Francisco M. Cornejo-Castillo, Amália Maria Sacilotto Detoni, Scott C. Doney, Cecile Dupouy, Marta Estrada, Camila Fernandez, Bieito Fernández-Castro, Debany Fonseca-Batista, Rachel A. Foster, Ken Furuya, Nicole Garcia, Kanji Goto, Jesús Gago, Mary R. Gradoville, M. Robert Hamersley, Britt A. Henke, Cora Hörstmann, Amal Jayakumar, Zhibing Jiang, Shuh-Ji Kao, David M. Karl, Leila R. Kittu, Angela N. Knapp, Sanjeev Kumar, Julie LaRoche, Hongbin Liu, Jiaxing Liu, Caroline Lory, Carolin R. Löscher, Emilio Marañón, Lauren F. Messer, Matthew M. Mills, Wiebke Mohr, Pia H. Moisander, Claire Mahaffey, Robert Moore, Beatriz Mouriño-Carballido, Margaret R. Mulholland, Shin-ichiro Nakaoka, Joseph A. Needoba, Eric J. Raes, Eyal Rahav, Teodoro Ramírez-Cárdenas, Christian Furbo Reeder, Lasse Riemann, Virginie Riou, Julie C. Robidart, Vedula V. S. S. Sarma, Takuya Sato, Himanshu Saxena, Corday Selden, Justin R. Seymour, Dalin Shi, Takuhei Shiozaki, Arvind Singh, Rachel E. Sipler, Jun Sun, Koji Suzuki, Kazutaka Takahashi, Yehui Tan, Weiyi Tang, Jean-Éric Tremblay, Kendra Turk-Kubo, Zuozhu Wen, Angelicque E. White, Samuel T. Wilson, Takashi Yoshida, Jonathan P. Zehr, Run Zhang, Yao Zhang, and Ya-Wei Luo
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3673–3709, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3673-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3673-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
N2 fixation by marine diazotrophs is an important bioavailable N source to the global ocean. This updated global oceanic diazotroph database increases the number of in situ measurements of N2 fixation rates, diazotrophic cell abundances, and nifH gene copy abundances by 184 %, 86 %, and 809 %, respectively. Using the updated database, the global marine N2 fixation rate is estimated at 223 ± 30 Tg N yr−1, which triplicates that using the original database.
Nicole M. Travis, Colette L. Kelly, Margaret R. Mulholland, and Karen L. Casciotti
Biogeosciences, 20, 325–347, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-325-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-325-2023, 2023
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The primary nitrite maximum is a ubiquitous upper ocean feature where nitrite accumulates, but we still do not understand its formation and the co-occurring microbial processes involved. Using correlative methods and rates measurements, we found strong spatial patterns between environmental conditions and depths of the nitrite maxima, but not the maximum concentrations. Nitrification was the dominant source of nitrite, with occasional high nitrite production from phytoplankton near the coast.
Natalia Belkin, Tamar Guy-Haim, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Ayah Lazar, Guy Sisma-Ventura, Rainer Kiko, Arseniy R. Morov, Tal Ozer, Isaac Gertman, Barak Herut, and Eyal Rahav
Ocean Sci., 18, 693–715, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-693-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-693-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how distinct water circulations that elevate (cyclone) or descend (anticyclone) water from the upper ocean affect the biomass, activity and diversity of planktonic microorganisms in the impoverished eastern Mediterranean. We show that cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies differ in their community composition and production. Moreover, the anticyclone may be a potential bio-invasion and dispersal vector, while the cyclone may serve as a thermal refugee for native species.
Siqi Wu, Moge Du, Xianhui Sean Wan, Corday Selden, Mar Benavides, Sophie Bonnet, Robert Hamersley, Carolin R. Löscher, Margaret R. Mulholland, Xiuli Yan, and Shuh-Ji Kao
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-104, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-104, 2021
Preprint withdrawn
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Nitrogen (N2) fixation is one of the most important nutrient sources to the ocean. Here, we report N2 fixation in the deep, dark ocean in the South China Sea via a highly sensitive new method and elaborate controls, showing the overlooked importance of N2 fixation in the deep ocean. By global data compilation, we also provide an easy measured basic parameter to estimate deep N2 fixation. Our study may help to expand the area limit of N2 fixation studies and better constrain global N2 fixation.
Tamar Guy-Haim, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Eyal Rahav, Natalia Belkin, Jacob Silverman, and Guy Sisma-Ventura
Biogeosciences, 17, 5489–5511, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5489-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5489-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The availability of nutrients in oligotrophic marine ecosystems is limited. Following jellyfish blooms, large die-off events result in the release of high amounts of nutrients to the water column and sediment. Our study assessed the decomposition effects of an infamous invasive jellyfish in the ultra-oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea. We found that jellyfish decomposition favored heterotrophic bacteria and altered biogeochemical fluxes, further impoverishing this nutrient-poor ecosystem.
Angela M. Kuhn, Katja Fennel, and Ilana Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences, 15, 7379–7401, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7379-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7379-2018, 2018
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Recent studies demonstrate that marine N2 fixation can be carried out without light. However, direct measurements of N2 fixation in dark environments are relatively scarce. This study uses a model that represents biogeochemical cycles at a deep-ocean location in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Different model versions are used to test assumptions about N2 fixers. Relaxing light limitation for marine N2 fixers improved the similarity between model results and observations of deep nitrate and oxygen.
Dina Spungin, Natalia Belkin, Rachel A. Foster, Marcus Stenegren, Andrea Caputo, Mireille Pujo-Pay, Nathalie Leblond, Cécile Dupouy, Sophie Bonnet, and Ilana Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences, 15, 3893–3908, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3893-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3893-2018, 2018
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The way marine organisms die can determine the fate of organic matter (OM) in the ocean. We investigated whether a form of auto-induced programmed cell death (PCD) influenced phytoplankton mortality and fate of OM. Our results from high biomass blooms of the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium show evidence for PCD and high production of sticky carbon material termed transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) that facilitates cellular aggregation and enhances the vertical flux of OM to depth.
Dina Spungin, Ulrike Pfreundt, Hugo Berthelot, Sophie Bonnet, Dina AlRoumi, Frank Natale, Wolfgang R. Hess, Kay D. Bidle, and Ilana Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences, 13, 4187–4203, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4187-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4187-2016, 2016
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The marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium spp. forms massive blooms important to carbon and nitrogen cycling in the oceans that often collapse abruptly. We investigated a Trichodesmium bloom in the lagoon waters of New Caledonia to specifically elucidate the cellular processes mediating the bloom decline. We demonstrate physiological, biochemical, and genetic evidence for nutrient and oxidative stress that induced a genetically controlled programmed cell death (PCD) pathway leading to bloom demise.
Ulrike Pfreundt, Dina Spungin, Sophie Bonnet, Ilana Berman-Frank, and Wolfgang R. Hess
Biogeosciences, 13, 4135–4149, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4135-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4135-2016, 2016
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The VAHINE experiment in the New Caledonia lagoon (SW Pacific) targeted the dynamics of nutrient pools and fluxes, N2 fixation, and the composition and productivity of the microbial communities. To connect this information to the actual activities of diverse microbial taxa, we present the analysis of the community-wide gene expression for 23 days. The results from this experiment provide insight into the microbial activities in a low-nutrient, low-chlorophyll ecosystem and within a mesocosm.
Ilana Berman-Frank, Dina Spungin, Eyal Rahav, France Van Wambeke, Kendra Turk-Kubo, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 13, 3793–3805, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In the marine environment, sticky sugar-containing gels, termed transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), are produced from biological sources and physical and chemical processes. These compounds are essential vectors enhancing downward flow of organic matter and its storage at depth. Spatial and temporal dynamics of TEPs were followed for 23 days during the VAHINE mesocosm experiment that investigated the fate of nitrogen and carbon derived from organisms fixing atmospheric N2 (diazotrophs).
Sophie Bonnet, Hugo Berthelot, Kendra Turk-Kubo, Sarah Fawcett, Eyal Rahav, Stéphane L'Helguen, and Ilana Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences, 13, 2653–2673, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2653-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2653-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
N2 fixation rates were measured daily in ~ 50 m3 mesocosms deployed in New Caledonia to investigate the high-frequency dynamics of diazotrophy and the fate of diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) oligotrophic ecosystems. ~ 10 % of UCYN-C from the water column were exported daily to the traps, representing as much as 22.4 ± 5.5 % of the total POC exported at the height of the UCYN-C bloom. 16 ± 6 % of the DDN was released to the dissolved pool and 21 ± 4 % was transferred to non-diazotrophic plankton.
E. Rahav, B. Herut, M. R. Mulholland, B. Voß, D. Stazic, C. Steglich, W. R. Hess, and I. Berman-Frank
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-10327-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-10327-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
S. Efrati, Y. Lehahn, E. Rahav, N. Kress, B. Herut, I. Gertman, R. Goldman, T. Ozer, M. Lazar, and E. Heifetz
Biogeosciences, 10, 3349–3357, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3349-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3349-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Approach: In situ Observations | Depth range: Surface | Geographical range: Mediterranean Sea | Phenomena: Biological Processes
Is coccolithophore distribution in the Mediterranean Sea related to seawater carbonate chemistry?
A. Oviedo, P. Ziveri, M. Álvarez, and T. Tanhua
Ocean Sci., 11, 13–32, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-13-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-13-2015, 2015
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