Articles | Volume 15, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1229-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1229-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
01 Mar 2018
Research article |
| 01 Mar 2018
| 01 Mar 2018
C5 glycolipids of heterocystous cyanobacteria track symbiont abundance in the diatom Hemiaulus hauckii across the tropical North Atlantic
Nicole J. Bale
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Tracy A. Villareal
Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
Ellen C. Hopmans
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Corina P. D. Brussaard
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Marc Besseling
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Denise Dorhout
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 80.021, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
Stefan Schouten
Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59,
1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 80.021, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
Related authors
Anna Cutmore, Nora Richter, Nicole Bale, Stefan Schouten, and Darci Rush
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1796, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1796, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses bacterial compounds, bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), preserved in Black Sea sediments to trace major environmental changes over the past 20,000 years. As the basin shifted from a freshwater lake to a permanently oxygen-poor marine environment, we observe clear changes in bacterial communities and environmental conditions. These findings offer new insight into how microbes responded to significant hydrological changes during the last deglaciation and Holocene.
Devika Varma, Laura Villanueva, Nicole J. Bale, Pierre Offre, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 21, 4875–4888, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Archaeal hydroxylated tetraether lipids are increasingly used as temperature indicators in marine settings, but the factors influencing their distribution are still unclear. Analyzing membrane lipids of two thaumarchaeotal strains showed that the growth phase of the cultures does not affect the lipid distribution, but growth temperature profoundly affects the degree of cyclization of these lipids. Also, the abundance of these lipids is species-specific and is not influenced by temperature.
Anna Cutmore, Nicole Bale, Rick Hennekam, Bingjie Yang, Darci Rush, Gert-Jan Reichart, Ellen C. Hopmans, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-59, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-59, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for CP
Short summary
Short summary
As human activities lower marine oxygen levels, understanding the impact on the marine nitrogen cycle is vital. The Black Sea, which became oxygen-deprived 9,600 years ago, offers key insights. By studying organic compounds linked to nitrogen cycle processes, we found that 7,200 years ago, the Black Sea's nitrogen cycle significantly altered due to severe deoxygenation. This suggests that continued marine oxygen decline could similarly alter the marine nitrogen cycle, affecting vital ecosystems.
Charlotte L. Spencer-Jones, Erin L. McClymont, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Stefan Schouten, Juliane Müller, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Claire Allen, Torsten Bickert, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Elaine Mawbey, Victoria Peck, Aleksandra Svalova, and James A. Smith
Biogeosciences, 18, 3485–3504, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term ocean temperature records are needed to fully understand the impact of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are powerful tools for reconstructing ocean temperature but can be difficult to apply to the Southern Ocean. Our results show active GDGT synthesis in relatively warm depths of the ocean. This research improves the application of GDGT palaeoceanographic proxies in the Southern Ocean.
Sergio Balzano, Julie Lattaud, Laura Villanueva, Sebastiaan W. Rampen, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Judith van Bleijswijk, Nicole Bale, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 15, 5951–5968, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5951-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5951-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We tried to identify the microbes which biosynthesize a class of lipids widespread in seawater, the long chain alkyl diols (LCDs). We could not find any microorganism likely involved in the production of LCDs. The amounts of LCDs found are too high to be produced by living organisms and are likely to be part of the refractory organic matter persisting for long periods in the water column.
Martina Sollai, Ellen C. Hopmans, Nicole J. Bale, Anchelique Mets, Lisa Warden, Matthias Moros, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 14, 5789–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5789-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5789-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The Baltic Sea is characterized by recurring summer phytoplankton blooms, dominated by a few cyanobacterial species. These bacteria are able to use dinitrogen gas as the source for nitrogen and produce very specific lipids. We analyzed these lipids in a sediment core to study their presence over the past 7000 years. This reveals that cyanobacterial blooms have not only occurred in the last decades but were common at times when the Baltic was connected to the North Sea.
Sandra Mariam Heinzelmann, Nicole Jane Bale, Laura Villanueva, Danielle Sinke-Schoen, Catharina Johanna Maria Philippart, Jaap Smede Sinninghe Damsté, Stefan Schouten, and Marcel Teunis Jan van der Meer
Biogeosciences, 13, 5527–5539, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5527-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5527-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In order to understand microbial communities in the environment it is necessary to assess their metabolic potential. The hydrogen isotopic composition of fatty acids has been shown to be promising tool to study the general metabolism of microorganisms in pure culture. Here we showed that it is possible to study seasonal changes in the general metabolism of the whole community by studying the hydrogen isotopic composition of fatty acids.
Douwe S. Maat, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Stefan Schouten, and Corina P. D. Brussaard
Biogeosciences, 13, 1667–1676, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1667-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1667-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows that the phytoplankter Micromonas pusilla alters its lipid composition when the macronutrient phosphate is in low supply. This reduction in phospholipids is directly dependent on the strength of the limitation. Furthermore we show that, when M. pusilla is infected by viruses, lipid remodeling is lower. The study was carried out to investigate how phytoplankton and its viruses are affected by environmental factors and how this affects food web dynamics.
D. S. Maat, N. J. Bale, E. C. Hopmans, A.-C. Baudoux, J. S. Sinninghe Damsté, S. Schouten, and C. P. D. Brussaard
Biogeosciences, 11, 185–194, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-185-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-185-2014, 2014
N. J. Bale, L. Villanueva, E. C. Hopmans, S. Schouten, and J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 10, 7195–7206, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7195-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7195-2013, 2013
Anna Cutmore, Nora Richter, Nicole Bale, Stefan Schouten, and Darci Rush
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1796, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1796, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses bacterial compounds, bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), preserved in Black Sea sediments to trace major environmental changes over the past 20,000 years. As the basin shifted from a freshwater lake to a permanently oxygen-poor marine environment, we observe clear changes in bacterial communities and environmental conditions. These findings offer new insight into how microbes responded to significant hydrological changes during the last deglaciation and Holocene.
Szabina Karancz, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Bas van der Wagt, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Sambuddha Misra, Rick Hennekam, Zeynep Erdem, Julie Lattaud, Negar Haghipour, Stefan Schouten, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Clim. Past, 21, 679–704, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-679-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-679-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Changes in upwelling intensity of the Benguela upwelling region during the last glacial motivated us to investigate the local CO2 history during the last glacial-to-interglacial transition. Using various geochemical tracers on archives from both subsurface and surface waters reveals enhanced storage of carbon at depth during the Last Glacial Maximum. An efficient biological pump likely prevented outgassing of CO2 from intermediate depth to the atmosphere.
Devika Varma, Laura Villanueva, Nicole J. Bale, Pierre Offre, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 21, 4875–4888, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Archaeal hydroxylated tetraether lipids are increasingly used as temperature indicators in marine settings, but the factors influencing their distribution are still unclear. Analyzing membrane lipids of two thaumarchaeotal strains showed that the growth phase of the cultures does not affect the lipid distribution, but growth temperature profoundly affects the degree of cyclization of these lipids. Also, the abundance of these lipids is species-specific and is not influenced by temperature.
Charlotte Eich, Mathijs van Manen, J. Scott P. McCain, Loay J. Jabre, Willem H. van de Poll, Jinyoung Jung, Sven B. E. H. Pont, Hung-An Tian, Indah Ardiningsih, Gert-Jan Reichart, Erin M. Bertrand, Corina P. D. Brussaard, and Rob Middag
Biogeosciences, 21, 4637–4663, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4637-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4637-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean (SO) is often limited by low iron (Fe) concentrations. Sea surface warming impacts Fe availability and can affect phytoplankton growth. We used shipboard Fe clean incubations to test how changes in Fe and temperature affect SO phytoplankton. Their abundances usually increased with Fe addition and temperature increase, with Fe being the major factor. These findings imply potential shifts in ecosystem structure, impacting food webs and elemental cycling.
Guangnan Wu, Klaas G. J. Nierop, Bingjie Yang, Stefan Schouten, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Peter Kraal
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3192, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3192, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Estuaries store and process large amounts of carbon, making them vital to the global carbon cycle. In the Port of Rotterdam, we studied the source of organic matter (OM) in sediments and how it influences OM breakdown. We found that marine OM degrades faster than land OM, and human activities like dredging can accelerate this by exposing sediments to oxygen. Our findings highlight the impact of human activities on carbon storage in estuaries, which is key for managing estuarine carbon dynamics.
Anna Cutmore, Nicole Bale, Rick Hennekam, Bingjie Yang, Darci Rush, Gert-Jan Reichart, Ellen C. Hopmans, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-59, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-59, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for CP
Short summary
Short summary
As human activities lower marine oxygen levels, understanding the impact on the marine nitrogen cycle is vital. The Black Sea, which became oxygen-deprived 9,600 years ago, offers key insights. By studying organic compounds linked to nitrogen cycle processes, we found that 7,200 years ago, the Black Sea's nitrogen cycle significantly altered due to severe deoxygenation. This suggests that continued marine oxygen decline could similarly alter the marine nitrogen cycle, affecting vital ecosystems.
Allix J. Baxter, Francien Peterse, Dirk Verschuren, Aihemaiti Maitituerdi, Nicolas Waldmann, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 21, 2877–2908, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2877-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2877-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the impact of long-term lake-system evolution on the climate signal recorded by glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), a popular biomarker in paleoclimate research. It compares downcore changes in GDGTs in the 250 000 year sediment sequence of Lake Chala (Kenya/Tanzania) to independent data for lake mixing and water-column chemistry. These factors influence the GDGT proxies in the earliest depositional phases (before ~180 ka), confounding the climate signal.
Zoë Rebecca van Kemenade, Zeynep Erdem, Ellen Christine Hopmans, Jaap Smede Sinninghe Damsté, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 21, 1517–1532, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1517-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1517-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The California Current system (CCS) hosts the eastern subtropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone (ESTNP OMZ). This study shows anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria cause a loss of bioavailable nitrogen (N) in the ESTNP OMZ throughout the late Quaternary. Anammox occurred during both glacial and interglacial periods and was driven by the supply of organic matter and changes in ocean currents. These findings may have important consequences for biogeochemical models of the CCS.
Vera Dorothee Meyer, Jürgen Pätzold, Gesine Mollenhauer, Isla S. Castañeda, Stefan Schouten, and Enno Schefuß
Clim. Past, 20, 523–546, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-523-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-523-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The climatic factors sustaining vegetation in the Sahara during the African humid period (AHP) are still not fully understood. Using biomarkers in a marine sediment core from the eastern Mediterranean, we infer variations in Mediterranean (winter) and monsoonal (summer) rainfall in the Nile river watershed around the AHP. We find that winter and summer rain enhanced during the AHP, suggesting that Mediterranean moisture supported the monsoon in sustaining the “green Sahara”.
Katrin Hättig, Devika Varma, Stefan Schouten, and Marcel T. J. van der Meer
Clim. Past, 19, 1919–1930, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1919-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1919-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Water isotopes, both hydrogen and oxygen, correlate with the salinity of the sea. Here we reconstruct the surface seawater isotopic composition during the last deglaciation based on the measured hydrogen isotopic composition of alkenones, organic compounds derived from haptophyte algae, and compared it to oxygen isotopes of calcite shells produced in the bottom water. Our results suggest that surface seawater experienced more freshening during the last 20 000 years than the bottom seawater.
Nora Richter, Ellen C. Hopmans, Danica Mitrović, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Vítor Gonçalves, Ana C. Costa, Linda A. Amaral-Zettler, Laura Villanueva, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 20, 2065–2098, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2065-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2065-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are a diverse class of lipids produced by bacteria across a wide range of environments. This study characterizes the diversity of BHPs in lakes and coastal lagoons in the Azores Archipelago, as well as a co-culture enriched for methanotrophs. We highlight the potential of BHPs as taxonomic markers for bacteria associated with certain ecological niches, which can be preserved in sedimentary records.
Kasia K. Śliwińska, Helen K. Coxall, David K. Hutchinson, Diederik Liebrand, Stefan Schouten, and Agatha M. de Boer
Clim. Past, 19, 123–140, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-123-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-123-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a sea surface temperature record from the Labrador Sea (ODP Site 647) based on organic geochemical proxies across the late Eocene and early Oligocene. Our study reveals heterogenic cooling of the Atlantic. The cooling of the North Atlantic is difficult to reconcile with the active Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We discuss possible explanations like uncertainty in the data, paleogeography and atmospheric CO2 boundary conditions, model weaknesses, and AMOC activity.
Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Lisa A. Warden, Carlo Berg, Klaus Jürgens, and Matthias Moros
Clim. Past, 18, 2271–2288, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2271-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2271-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Reconstruction of past climate conditions is important for understanding current climate change. These reconstructions are derived from proxies, enabling reconstructions of, e.g., past temperature, precipitation, vegetation, and sea surface temperature (SST). Here we investigate a recently developed SST proxy based on membrane lipids of ammonium-oxidizing archaea in the ocean. We show that low salinities substantially affect the proxy calibration by examining Holocene Baltic Sea sediments.
Carolien M. H. van der Weijst, Koen J. van der Laan, Francien Peterse, Gert-Jan Reichart, Francesca Sangiorgi, Stefan Schouten, Tjerk J. T. Veenstra, and Appy Sluijs
Clim. Past, 18, 1947–1962, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1947-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1947-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The TEX86 proxy is often used by paleoceanographers to reconstruct past sea-surface temperatures. However, the origin of the TEX86 signal in marine sediments has been debated since the proxy was first proposed. In our paper, we show that TEX86 carries a mixed sea-surface and subsurface temperature signal and should be calibrated accordingly. Using our 15-million-year record, we subsequently show how a TEX86 subsurface temperature record can be used to inform us on past sea-surface temperatures.
Zoë R. van Kemenade, Laura Villanueva, Ellen C. Hopmans, Peter Kraal, Harry J. Witte, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 19, 201–221, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-201-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-201-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an important nitrogen-removal process in the ocean. We assess the distribution of bacteriohopanetetrol-x (BHT-x), used to trace past anammox, along a redox gradient in the water column of the Benguela upwelling system. BHT-x / BHT ratios of >0.18 correspond to the presence of living anammox bacteria and oxygen levels <50 μmol L−1. This allows for a more robust application of BHT-x to trace past marine anammox and deoxygenation in dynamic marine systems.
Charlotte L. Spencer-Jones, Erin L. McClymont, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Stefan Schouten, Juliane Müller, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Claire Allen, Torsten Bickert, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Elaine Mawbey, Victoria Peck, Aleksandra Svalova, and James A. Smith
Biogeosciences, 18, 3485–3504, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term ocean temperature records are needed to fully understand the impact of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are powerful tools for reconstructing ocean temperature but can be difficult to apply to the Southern Ocean. Our results show active GDGT synthesis in relatively warm depths of the ocean. This research improves the application of GDGT palaeoceanographic proxies in the Southern Ocean.
Cécile L. Blanchet, Rik Tjallingii, Anja M. Schleicher, Stefan Schouten, Martin Frank, and Achim Brauer
Clim. Past, 17, 1025–1050, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1025-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1025-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Mediterranean Sea turned repeatedly into an oxygen-deprived basin during the geological past, as evidenced by distinct sediment layers called sapropels. We use here records of the last sapropel S1 retrieved in front of the Nile River to explore the relationships between riverine input and seawater oxygenation. We decipher the seasonal cycle of fluvial input and seawater chemistry as well as the decisive influence of primary productivity on deoxygenation at millennial timescales.
Nadine T. Smit, Laura Villanueva, Darci Rush, Fausto Grassa, Caitlyn R. Witkowski, Mira Holzheimer, Adriaan J. Minnaard, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 18, 1463–1479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1463-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1463-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Soils from an everlasting fire (gas seep) in Sicily, Italy, reveal high relative abundances of novel uncultivated mycobacteria and unique 13C-depleted mycocerosic acids (multi-methyl branched fatty acids) close to the main gas seep. Our results imply that mycocerosic acids in combination with their depleted δ13C values offer a new biomarker tool to study the role of soil mycobacteria as hydrocarbon consumers in the modern and past global carbon cycle.
Hans van Haren, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Loes J. A. Gerringa, Mathijs H. van Manen, Rob Middag, and Ruud Groenewegen
Ocean Sci., 17, 301–318, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-301-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-301-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Changes in ocean temperature may affect vertical density stratification, which may hamper turbulent exchange and thus nutrient availability for phytoplankton growth. To quantify varying physical conditions, we sampled the upper 500 m along 17 ± 5° W between [30, 63]° N in summer. South to north, temperature decreased with stratification while turbulence and nutrient fluxes remained constant, likely due to internal waves breaking and little affected by the physical process of global warming.
Appy Sluijs, Joost Frieling, Gordon N. Inglis, Klaas G. J. Nierop, Francien Peterse, Francesca Sangiorgi, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past, 16, 2381–2400, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2381-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2381-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We revisit 15-year-old reconstructions of sea surface temperatures in the Arctic Ocean for the late Paleocene and early Eocene epochs (∼ 57–53 million years ago) based on the distribution of fossil membrane lipids of archaea preserved in Arctic Ocean sediments. We find that improvements in the methods over the past 15 years do not lead to different results. However, data quality is now higher and potential biases better characterized. Results confirm remarkable Arctic warmth during this time.
Loes G. J. van Bree, Francien Peterse, Allix J. Baxter, Wannes De Crop, Sigrid van Grinsven, Laura Villanueva, Dirk Verschuren, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 17, 5443–5463, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5443-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5443-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are used as a paleothermometer based on their temperature dependence in global soils, but aquatic production complicates their use in lakes. BrGDGTs in the water column of Lake Chala, East Africa, respond to oxygen conditions and mixing. Changes in their signal can be linked to bacterial community composition rather than membrane adaptation to changing conditions. Their integrated signal in the sediment reflects mean air temperature.
Elisabeth Dietze, Kai Mangelsdorf, Andrei Andreev, Cornelia Karger, Laura T. Schreuder, Ellen C. Hopmans, Oliver Rach, Dirk Sachse, Volker Wennrich, and Ulrike Herzschuh
Clim. Past, 16, 799–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-799-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-799-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term climate change impacts on fire, vegetation and permafrost in the Arctic are uncertain. Here, we show the high potential of organic compounds from low-temperature biomass burning to serve as proxies for surface fires in lake deposits. During warm periods of the last 430 000 years, surface fires are closely linked to the larch taiga forest with its moss–lichen ground vegetation that isolates the permafrost. They have reduced in warm–wet, spruce–dominated and cool–dry steppe environments.
Emily Dearing Crampton-Flood, Lars J. Noorbergen, Damian Smits, R. Christine Boschman, Timme H. Donders, Dirk K. Munsterman, Johan ten Veen, Francien Peterse, Lucas Lourens, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Clim. Past, 16, 523–541, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-523-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-523-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP; 3.3–3.0 million years ago) is thought to be the last geological interval with similar atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as the present day. Further, the mPWP was 2–3 °C warmer than present, making it a good analogue for estimating the effects of future climate change. Here, we construct a new precise age model for the North Sea during the mPWP, and provide a detailed reconstruction of terrestrial and marine climate using a multi-proxy approach.
Tamara L. Fletcher, Lisa Warden, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Kendrick J. Brown, Natalia Rybczynski, John C. Gosse, and Ashley P. Ballantyne
Clim. Past, 15, 1063–1081, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1063-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1063-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The last time atmospheric CO2 was similar to the present was 3–4 million years ago. The Arctic was warmer compared to the global average, and the causes are not fully known. To investigate this, we reconstructed summer temperature, forest fire and vegetation at a 3.9 Ma fen peat in Arctic Canada. The summer temperatures averaged 15.4 °C, and charcoal was abundant. Interactions between vegetation and climate were mediated by fire and may contribute to high Arctic temperatures during the Pliocene.
Darci Rush, Helen M. Talbot, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Ellen C. Hopmans, Ben Douglas, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 16, 2467–2479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2467-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2467-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Sapropels are layers of sediment that regularly occur in the Mediterranean. They indicate periods when the Mediterranean Sea water contained no oxygen, a gas vital for most large organisms. This research investigated a key process in the nitrogen cycle (anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox), which removes nitrogen – an important nutrient to algae – from the water, during sapropel events. Using lipids to trace this process, we found that anammox was active during the no-oxygen times.
Gabriella M. Weiss, David Chivall, Sebastian Kasper, Hideto Nakamura, Fiz da Costa, Philippe Soudant, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Stefan Schouten, and Marcel T. J. van der Meer
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-147, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-147, 2019
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we used four different haptophyte species and six different organic compounds to investigate the relationship between organic matter synthesis and salinity. We showed that creation in different parts of the cell (chloroplast versus cytosol) determined which compounds retain a correlation between their hydrogen isotopes and salinity. This is important for using hydrogen isotopes to reconstruct salinity in the geologic record.
Marijke W. de Bar, Jenny E. Ullgren, Robert C. Thunnell, Stuart G. Wakeham, Geert-Jan A. Brummer, Jan-Berend W. Stuut, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 16, 1705–1727, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1705-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1705-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed sediment traps from the Cariaco Basin, the tropical Atlantic and the Mozambique Channel to evaluate seasonal imprints in the concentrations and fluxes of long-chain diols (LDIs), in addition to the long-chain diol index proxy (sea surface temperature proxy) and the diol index (upwelling indicator). Despite significant degradation, LDI-derived temperatures were very similar for the sediment traps and seafloor sediments, and corresponded to annual mean sea surface temperatures.
Laura F. Korte, Franziska Pausch, Scarlett Trimborn, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Geert-Jan A. Brummer, Michèlle van der Does, Catarina V. Guerreiro, Laura T. Schreuder, Chris I. Munday, and Jan-Berend W. Stuut
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-484, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-484, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
This paper shows the differences of nutrient release after dry and wet Saharan dust deposition in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean at 12° N. Incubation experiments were conducted along an east-west transect. Large differences were observed between both deposition types with wet deposition being the dominant source of phosphate, silicate, and iron. Both deposition types suggest that Saharan dust particles might be incorporated into marine snow aggregates and act as ballast mineral.
Marijke W. de Bar, Dave J. Stolwijk, Jerry F. McManus, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past, 14, 1783–1803, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1783-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1783-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We present a past sea surface temperature and paleoproductivity record over the last 150 000 years for ODP Site 1234 (Chilean margin). We tested the applicability of long-chain diol proxies for the reconstrucion of SST (LDI), past upwelling conditions (diol index), and nutrient concentrations (NDI). The LDI likely reflects past temperature changes, but the diol index and NDI are perhaps more indicative of Proboscia diatom productivity rather than upwelling and/or nutrient conditions.
Robert T. Letscher and Tracy A. Villareal
Biogeosciences, 15, 6461–6480, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6461-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The formation rates of oxygen to nitrogen anomalies in the subtropical North Pacific and North Atlantic were estimated from time series data. We find that vertically migrating phytoplankton, which traverse ~ 100–150 m in the upper ocean over days to acquire nutrients from waters at depth and return to the surface for photosynthesis, likely explain the observed anomalies and help sustain surface ocean productivity and the biological pump throughout the annual cycle in the subtropical ocean.
Sergio Balzano, Julie Lattaud, Laura Villanueva, Sebastiaan W. Rampen, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Judith van Bleijswijk, Nicole Bale, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 15, 5951–5968, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5951-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5951-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We tried to identify the microbes which biosynthesize a class of lipids widespread in seawater, the long chain alkyl diols (LCDs). We could not find any microorganism likely involved in the production of LCDs. The amounts of LCDs found are too high to be produced by living organisms and are likely to be part of the refractory organic matter persisting for long periods in the water column.
Julian D. Hartman, Francesca Sangiorgi, Ariadna Salabarnada, Francien Peterse, Alexander J. P. Houben, Stefan Schouten, Henk Brinkhuis, Carlota Escutia, and Peter K. Bijl
Clim. Past, 14, 1275–1297, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1275-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1275-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed sea surface temperatures for the Oligocene and Miocene periods (34–11 Ma) based on archaeal lipids from a site close to the Wilkes Land coast, Antarctica. Our record suggests generally warm to temperate surface waters: on average 17 °C. Based on the lithology, glacial and interglacial temperatures could be distinguished, showing an average 3 °C offset. The long-term temperature trend resembles the benthic δ18O stack, which may have implications for ice volume reconstructions.
Julie Lattaud, Frédérique Kirkels, Francien Peterse, Chantal V. Freymond, Timothy I. Eglinton, Jens Hefter, Gesine Mollenhauer, Sergio Balzano, Laura Villanueva, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Ellen C. Hopmans, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 15, 4147–4161, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4147-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4147-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Long-chain diols (LCDs) are biomarkers that occur widespread in marine environments and also in lakes and rivers. In this study, we looked at the distribution of LCDs in three river systems (Godavari, Danube, and Rhine) in relation to season, precipitation, and temperature. We found out that the LCDs are likely being produced in calm areas of the river systems and that marine LCDs have a different distribution than riverine LCDs.
Marc A. Besseling, Ellen C. Hopmans, R. Christine Boschman, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Laura Villanueva
Biogeosciences, 15, 4047–4064, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4047-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4047-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Benthic archaea comprise a significant part of the total prokaryotic biomass in marine sediments. Here, we compared the archaeal diversity and intact polar lipid (IPL) composition in both surface and subsurface sediments with different oxygen regimes in the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone. The oxygenated sediments were dominated by Thaumarchaeota and IPL-GDGT-0. The anoxic sediment contained highly diverse archaeal communities and high relative abundances of IPL-GDGT-1 to -4.
Timme H. Donders, Niels A. G. M. van Helmond, Roel Verreussel, Dirk Munsterman, Johan ten Veen, Robert P. Speijer, Johan W. H. Weijers, Francesca Sangiorgi, Francien Peterse, Gert-Jan Reichart, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Lucas Lourens, Gesa Kuhlmann, and Henk Brinkhuis
Clim. Past, 14, 397–411, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-397-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-397-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The buildup and melting of ice during the early glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere, around 2.5 million years ago, were far shorter in duration than during the last million years. Based on molecular compounds and microfossils from sediments dating back to the early glaciations we show that the temperature on land and in the sea changed simultaneously and was a major factor in the ice buildup in the Northern Hemisphere. These data provide key insights into the dynamics of early glaciations.
Martina Sollai, Ellen C. Hopmans, Nicole J. Bale, Anchelique Mets, Lisa Warden, Matthias Moros, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 14, 5789–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5789-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5789-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The Baltic Sea is characterized by recurring summer phytoplankton blooms, dominated by a few cyanobacterial species. These bacteria are able to use dinitrogen gas as the source for nitrogen and produce very specific lipids. We analyzed these lipids in a sediment core to study their presence over the past 7000 years. This reveals that cyanobacterial blooms have not only occurred in the last decades but were common at times when the Baltic was connected to the North Sea.
Gabriella M. Weiss, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Stefan Schouten, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Marcel T. J. van der Meer
Biogeosciences, 14, 5693–5704, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5693-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5693-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Algal-derived compounds allow us to make assumptions about environmental conditions in the past. In order to better understand how organisms record environmental conditions, we grew microscopic marine algae at different light intensities, salinities, and alkalinities in a temperature-controlled environment. We determined how these environmental parameters affected specific algal-derived compounds, especially their relative deuterium content, which seems to be mainly affected by salinity.
Katharine J. Crawfurd, Santiago Alvarez-Fernandez, Kristina D. A. Mojica, Ulf Riebesell, and Corina P. D. Brussaard
Biogeosciences, 14, 3831–3849, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3831-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3831-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is increasing in the atmosphere and oceans. To simulate future conditions we manipulated CO2 concentrations of natural Baltic seawater in 55 m3 bags in situ. We saw increased growth rates and abundances of the smallest-sized eukaryotic phytoplankton and reduced abundances of other phytoplankton with increased CO2. Viral and bacterial abundances were also affected. This would lead to more carbon recycling in the surface water and affect marine food webs and the carbon cycle.
Julie Lattaud, Denise Dorhout, Hartmut Schulz, Isla S. Castañeda, Enno Schefuß, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Clim. Past, 13, 1049–1061, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1049-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1049-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The study of past sedimentary records from coastal margins allows us to reconstruct variations in terrestrial input into the marine realm and to gain insight into continental climatic variability. The study of two sediment cores close to river mouths allowed us to show the potential of long-chain diols as riverine input proxy.
Laura F. Korte, Geert-Jan A. Brummer, Michèlle van der Does, Catarina V. Guerreiro, Rick Hennekam, Johannes A. van Hateren, Dirk Jong, Chris I. Munday, Stefan Schouten, and Jan-Berend W. Stuut
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6023–6040, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6023-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6023-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We collected Saharan dust at the Mauritanian coast as well as in the deep the North Atlantic Ocean, along a transect at 12 °N, using an array of moored sediment traps. We demonstrated that the lithogenic particles collected in the ocean are from the same source as dust collected on the African coast. With increasing distance from the source, lithogenic elements associated with clay minerals become more important relative to quartz which is settling out faster. Seasonality is prominent, but weak.
Thomas Hornick, Lennart T. Bach, Katharine J. Crawfurd, Kristian Spilling, Eric P. Achterberg, Jason N. Woodhouse, Kai G. Schulz, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Ulf Riebesell, and Hans-Peter Grossart
Biogeosciences, 14, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1-2017, 2017
Kristian Spilling, Kai G. Schulz, Allanah J. Paul, Tim Boxhammer, Eric P. Achterberg, Thomas Hornick, Silke Lischka, Annegret Stuhr, Rafael Bermúdez, Jan Czerny, Kate Crawfurd, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Hans-Peter Grossart, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 13, 6081–6093, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6081-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6081-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We performed an experiment in the Baltic Sea in order to investigate the consequences of the increasing CO2 levels on biological processes in the free water mass. There was more accumulation of organic carbon at high CO2 levels. Surprisingly, this was caused by reduced loss processes (respiration and bacterial production) in a high-CO2 environment, and not by increased photosynthetic fixation of CO2. Our carbon budget can be used to better disentangle the effects of ocean acidification.
Lisa Warden, Jung-Hyun Kim, Claudia Zell, Geert-Jan Vis, Henko de Stigter, Jérôme Bonnin, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 13, 5719–5738, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5719-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5719-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Enhanced analytical techniques were applied to characterize fossilized microbial cell membrane lipids from samples in the Tagus River basin spanning the last 6000 years. Using the novel methods and calibration, the pH estimates were improved upon, and this study reveals new factors that should be considered when using this proxy as well as affirms the importance of examining the provenance of these lipids before applying them for paleoclimate reconstructions.
Sandra Mariam Heinzelmann, Nicole Jane Bale, Laura Villanueva, Danielle Sinke-Schoen, Catharina Johanna Maria Philippart, Jaap Smede Sinninghe Damsté, Stefan Schouten, and Marcel Teunis Jan van der Meer
Biogeosciences, 13, 5527–5539, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5527-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5527-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In order to understand microbial communities in the environment it is necessary to assess their metabolic potential. The hydrogen isotopic composition of fatty acids has been shown to be promising tool to study the general metabolism of microorganisms in pure culture. Here we showed that it is possible to study seasonal changes in the general metabolism of the whole community by studying the hydrogen isotopic composition of fatty acids.
Alison L. Webb, Emma Leedham-Elvidge, Claire Hughes, Frances E. Hopkins, Gill Malin, Lennart T. Bach, Kai Schulz, Kate Crawfurd, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Annegret Stuhr, Ulf Riebesell, and Peter S. Liss
Biogeosciences, 13, 4595–4613, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4595-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4595-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents concentrations of several trace gases produced by the Baltic Sea phytoplankton community during a mesocosm experiment with five different CO2 levels. Average concentrations of dimethylsulphide were lower in the highest CO2 mesocosms over a 6-week period, corresponding to previous mesocosm experiment results. No dimethylsulfoniopropionate was detected due to a methodological issue. Concentrations of iodine- and bromine-containing halocarbons were unaffected by increasing CO2.
Douwe S. Maat, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Stefan Schouten, and Corina P. D. Brussaard
Biogeosciences, 13, 1667–1676, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1667-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1667-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows that the phytoplankter Micromonas pusilla alters its lipid composition when the macronutrient phosphate is in low supply. This reduction in phospholipids is directly dependent on the strength of the limitation. Furthermore we show that, when M. pusilla is infected by viruses, lipid remodeling is lower. The study was carried out to investigate how phytoplankton and its viruses are affected by environmental factors and how this affects food web dynamics.
J. Brandsma, T. R. Sutton, J. M. Herniman, J. E. Hunter, T. E. G. Biggs, C. Evans, C. P. D. Brussaard, A. D. Postle, T. J. Jenkins, and G. J. Langley
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2016-13, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2016-13, 2016
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Marine phytoplankton fix around 1 billion tonnes of carbon as lipid biomass each year. We present a new method for analysing complex lipid mixtures from phytoplankton biomass using supercritical fluid technology which has better resolution and is several times faster than existing methods. Thus, it enables larger-scale and more in-depth studies of phytoplankton lipid metabolism, the way it is controlled by ecological and environmental processes, and its impact on global biogeochemistry.
M. Rodrigo-Gámiz, S. W. Rampen, H. de Haas, M. Baas, S. Schouten, and J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 12, 6573–6590, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6573-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6573-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This research reports a test of the applicability of three organic-derived temperature proxies (UK'37, TEX86 and LDI) at high latitudes around Iceland. A range of samples including suspended particular material (SPM), trapped descending particles and surface sediments were collected to test the different proxies in the water column and the sediment.The combination of three independent SST organic proxies provided important information about seasonality and differences in habitat depth.
M. Sollai, E. C. Hopmans, S. Schouten, R. G. Keil, and J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 12, 4725–4737, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4725-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4725-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The distribution of Thaumarchaeota and anammox bacteria in the water column of the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP) oxygen-deficient zone (ODZ) was investigated by collecting suspended particulate matter (SPM) and analyzing it for the content of specific intact polar lipids (IPLs) produced by the two microbial groups. We found a clear niche segregation in the distribution of the two groups in the coastal waters of the ETNP but a partial overlap of their niches in the open-water setting.
C. Bottini, E. Erba, D. Tiraboschi, H. C. Jenkyns, S. Schouten, and J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
Clim. Past, 11, 383–402, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-383-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-383-2015, 2015
A. de Kluijver, P. L. Schoon, J. A. Downing, S. Schouten, and J. J. Middelburg
Biogeosciences, 11, 6265–6276, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6265-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6265-2014, 2014
A. Sluijs, L. van Roij, G. J. Harrington, S. Schouten, J. A. Sessa, L. J. LeVay, G.-J. Reichart, and C. P. Slomp
Clim. Past, 10, 1421–1439, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1421-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1421-2014, 2014
S. K. Lengger, Y. A. Lipsewers, H. de Haas, J. S. Sinninghe Damsté, and S. Schouten
Biogeosciences, 11, 201–216, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-201-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-201-2014, 2014
D. S. Maat, N. J. Bale, E. C. Hopmans, A.-C. Baudoux, J. S. Sinninghe Damsté, S. Schouten, and C. P. D. Brussaard
Biogeosciences, 11, 185–194, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-185-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-185-2014, 2014
N. J. Bale, L. Villanueva, E. C. Hopmans, S. Schouten, and J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 10, 7195–7206, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7195-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7195-2013, 2013
W. H. van de Poll, G. Kulk, K. R. Timmermans, C. P. D. Brussaard, H. J. van der Woerd, M. J. Kehoe, K. D. A. Mojica, R. J. W. Visser, P. D. Rozema, and A. G. J. Buma
Biogeosciences, 10, 4227–4240, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4227-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4227-2013, 2013
C. Motegi, T. Tanaka, J. Piontek, C. P. D. Brussaard, J.-P. Gattuso, and M. G. Weinbauer
Biogeosciences, 10, 3285–3296, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3285-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3285-2013, 2013
F. E. Hopkins, S. A. Kimmance, J. A. Stephens, R. G. J. Bellerby, C. P. D. Brussaard, J. Czerny, K. G. Schulz, and S. D. Archer
Biogeosciences, 10, 2331–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2331-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2331-2013, 2013
C. P. D. Brussaard, A. A. M. Noordeloos, H. Witte, M. C. J. Collenteur, K. Schulz, A. Ludwig, and U. Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 10, 719–731, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-719-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-719-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Organic Biogeochemistry
Distribution of alkylamines in surface waters around the Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea
Contrasting seasonal patterns in particle aggregation and dissolved organic matter transformation in a sub-Arctic fjord
Methods to characterize type, relevance, and interactions of organic matter and microorganisms in fluids along the flow path of a geothermal facility
Microbial strong organic-ligand production is tightly coupled to iron in hydrothermal plumes
Ocean liming effects on dissolved organic matter dynamics
Results from a multi-laboratory ocean metaproteomic intercomparison: effects of LC-MS acquisition and data analysis procedures
Controls on the composition of hydroxylated isoprenoidal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (isoGDGTs) in cultivated ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota
Reviews and syntheses: Opportunities for robust use of peak intensities from high-resolution mass spectrometry in organic matter studies
Sea ice-associated algae and zooplankton fecal pellets fuel organic particle export in the seasonally ice-covered northwest Labrador Sea
Hydrothermal inputs drive dynamic shifts in microbial communities in Lake Magadi, Kenya Rift Valley
Elemental stoichiometry of particulate organic matter across the Atlantic Ocean
Lipid remodeling in phytoplankton exposed to multi-environmental drivers in a mesocosm experiment
Molecular-level carbon traits of fine roots: unveiling adaptation and decomposition under flooded conditions
Environmental controls on the distribution of brGDGTs and brGMGTs across the Seine River basin (NW France): implications for bacterial tetraethers as a proxy for riverine runoff
Latitudinal distribution of biomarkers across the western Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea: an approach to assess sympagic and pelagic algal production
Sinking fate and carbon export of zooplankton fecal pellets: insights from time-series sediment trap observations in the northern South China Sea
Low cobalt inventories in the Amundsen and Ross seas driven by high demand for labile cobalt uptake among native phytoplankton communities
Potential bioavailability of representative pyrogenic organic matter compounds in comparison to natural dissolved organic matter pools
Distributions of bacteriohopanepolyols in lakes and coastal lagoons of the Azores Archipelago
Recently fixed carbon fuels microbial activity several meters below the soil surface
Environmental and hydrologic controls on sediment and organic carbon export from a subalpine catchment: insights from a time series
Climate and geology overwrite land use effects on soil organic nitrogen cycling on a continental scale
Compositions of dissolved organic matter in the ice-covered waters above the Aurora hydrothermal vent system, Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean
Organic matter characteristics of a rapidly eroding permafrost cliff in NE Siberia (Lena Delta, Laptev Sea region)
Microbial labilization and diversification of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter
Bacterial and eukaryotic intact polar lipids point to in situ production as a key source of labile organic matter in hadal surface sediment of the Atacama Trench
What can we learn from amino acids about oceanic organic matter cycling and degradation?
Bacteriohopanetetrol-x: constraining its application as a lipid biomarker for marine anammox using the water column oxygen gradient of the Benguela upwelling system
Active and passive fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the northern South China Sea
Cyanobacteria net community production in the Baltic Sea as inferred from profiling pCO2 measurements
Reviews and syntheses: Heterotrophic fixation of inorganic carbon – significant but invisible flux in environmental carbon cycling
Revised fractional abundances and warm-season temperatures substantially improve brGDGT calibrations in lake sediments
Archaeal intact polar lipids in polar waters: a comparison between the Amundsen and Scotia seas
Reproducible determination of dissolved organic matter photosensitivity
Technical note: Uncovering the influence of methodological variations on the extractability of iron-bound organic carbon
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland
Novel hydrocarbon-utilizing soil mycobacteria synthesize unique mycocerosic acids at a Sicilian everlasting fire
Alkenone isotopes show evidence of active carbon concentrating mechanisms in coccolithophores as aqueous carbon dioxide concentrations fall below 7 µmol L−1
Seasonal variability and sources of in situ brGDGT production in a permanently stratified African crater lake
Sediment release of dissolved organic matter to the oxygen minimum zone off Peru
Better molecular preservation of organic matter in an oxic than in a sulfidic depositional environment: evidence from Thalassiphora pelagica (Dinoflagellata, Eocene) cysts
Assessing branched tetraether lipids as tracers of soil organic carbon transport through the Carminowe Creek catchment (southwest England)
The nonconservative distribution pattern of organic matter in the Rajang, a tropical river with peatland in its estuary
Predominance of hexamethylated 6-methyl branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in the Mariana Trench: source and environmental implication
High-pH and anoxic conditions during soil organic matter extraction increases its electron-exchange capacity and ability to stimulate microbial Fe(III) reduction by electron shuttling
Sterol preservation in hypersaline microbial mats
Structural elucidation and environmental distributions of butanetriol and pentanetriol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (BDGTs and PDGTs)
Distribution and degradation of terrestrial organic matter in the sediments of peat-draining rivers, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Validation of carbon isotope fractionation in algal lipids as a pCO2 proxy using a natural CO2 seep (Shikine Island, Japan)
Composition and cycling of dissolved organic matter from tropical peatlands of coastal Sarawak, Borneo, revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis
Arianna Rocchi, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Preston Akenga, Ana Sotomayor, Elisabet L. Sà, Queralt Güell-Bujons, Magda Vila, Yaiza M. Castillo, Manuel Dall’Osto, Dolors Vaqué, Charel Wohl, Rafel Simó, and Elisa Berdalet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-407, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-407, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
During the Polar Change expedition, volatile alkylamines, important players in nitrogen cycling and cloud formation, were measured in Antarctic waters using a high-sensitivity method. Trimethylamine was the dominant alkylamine in marine particles, associated with nanophytoplankton. Dissolved dimethylamine likely originated from trimethylamine degradation, while diethylamine sources remain unclear. These findings confirm the biological origin of alkylamines in polar marine microbial food webs.
Maria G. Digernes, Yasemin V. Bodur, Martí Amargant-Arumí, Oliver Müller, Jeffrey A. Hawkes, Stephen G. Kohler, Ulrike Dietrich, Marit Reigstad, and Maria L. Paulsen
Biogeosciences, 22, 601–623, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-601-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-601-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved (DOM) and particulate organic matter (POM) are in constant exchange but are usually studied as distinct entities. We investigated the dynamics between POM and DOM in a sub-Arctic fjord across different seasons by conducting bi-monthly aggregation–dissolution experiments. During the productive period, POM concentrations increased in the experiment, and DOM molecules became more recalcitrant. During the winter period, POM concentrations decreased, and DOM molecules became more labile.
Alessio Leins, Danaé Bregnard, Andrea Vieth-Hillebrand, Stefanie Poetz, Florian Eichinger, Guillaume Cailleau, Pilar Junier, and Simona Regenspurg
Biogeosciences, 21, 5457–5479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5457-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5457-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Organic matter and microbial fluid analysis are rarely considered in the geothermal industry and research. However, they can have a significant impact on the efficiency of geothermal energy production. We found a high diversity of organic compound compositions in our samples and were able to differentiate them with respect to different sources (e.g. artificial and biogenic). Furthermore, the microbial diversity undergoes significant changes within the flow path of a geothermal power plant.
Colleen L. Hoffman, Patrick J. Monreal, Justine B. Albers, Alastair J. M. Lough, Alyson E. Santoro, Travis Mellett, Kristen N. Buck, Alessandro Tagliabue, Maeve C. Lohan, Joseph A. Resing, and Randelle M. Bundy
Biogeosciences, 21, 5233–5246, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5233-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5233-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrothermally derived iron can be transported kilometers away from deep-sea vents, representing a significant flux of vital micronutrients to the ocean. However, the mechanisms that support the stabilization of dissolved iron remain elusive. Using electrochemical, spectrometry, and genomic methods, we demonstrated that strong ligands exert an important control on iron in plumes, and high-affinity iron-binding siderophores were identified in several hydrothermal plume samples for the first time.
Chiara Santinelli, Silvia Valsecchi, Simona Retelletti Brogi, Giancarlo Bachi, Giovanni Checcucci, Mirco Guerrazzi, Elisa Camatti, Stefano Caserini, Arianna Azzellino, and Daniela Basso
Biogeosciences, 21, 5131–5141, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5131-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5131-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean liming is a technique proposed to mitigate ocean acidification. Every action we take has an impact on the environment and the effects on the invisible world are often overlooked. With this study, we show that lime addition impacts the dynamics of dissolved organic matter, one of the largest reservoirs of carbon on Earth, representing the main source of energy for marine microbes. Further studies to assess the impacts on marine ecosystems are therefore crucial before taking any action.
Mak A. Saito, Jaclyn K. Saunders, Matthew R. McIlvin, Erin M. Bertrand, John A. Breier, Margaret Mars Brisbin, Sophie M. Colston, Jaimee R. Compton, Tim J. Griffin, W. Judson Hervey, Robert L. Hettich, Pratik D. Jagtap, Michael Janech, Rod Johnson, Rick Keil, Hugo Kleikamp, Dagmar Leary, Lennart Martens, J. Scott P. McCain, Eli Moore, Subina Mehta, Dawn M. Moran, Jaqui Neibauer, Benjamin A. Neely, Michael V. Jakuba, Jim Johnson, Megan Duffy, Gerhard J. Herndl, Richard Giannone, Ryan Mueller, Brook L. Nunn, Martin Pabst, Samantha Peters, Andrew Rajczewski, Elden Rowland, Brian Searle, Tim Van Den Bossche, Gary J. Vora, Jacob R. Waldbauer, Haiyan Zheng, and Zihao Zhao
Biogeosciences, 21, 4889–4908, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4889-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4889-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The ability to assess the functional capabilities of microbes in the environment is of increasing interest. Metaproteomics, the ability to measure proteins across microbial populations, has been increasing in capability and popularity in recent years. Here, an international team of scientists conducted an intercomparison study using samples collected from the North Atlantic Ocean and observed consistency in the peptides and proteins identified, their functions, and their taxonomic origins.
Devika Varma, Laura Villanueva, Nicole J. Bale, Pierre Offre, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 21, 4875–4888, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4875-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Archaeal hydroxylated tetraether lipids are increasingly used as temperature indicators in marine settings, but the factors influencing their distribution are still unclear. Analyzing membrane lipids of two thaumarchaeotal strains showed that the growth phase of the cultures does not affect the lipid distribution, but growth temperature profoundly affects the degree of cyclization of these lipids. Also, the abundance of these lipids is species-specific and is not influenced by temperature.
William Kew, Allison Myers-Pigg, Christine H. Chang, Sean M. Colby, Josie Eder, Malak M. Tfaily, Jeffrey Hawkes, Rosalie K. Chu, and James C. Stegen
Biogeosciences, 21, 4665–4679, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4665-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4665-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Natural organic matter (NOM) is often studied via Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), which identifies organic molecules as mass spectra peaks. The intensity of peaks is data that is often discarded due to technical concerns. We review the theory behind these concerns and show they are supported empirically. However, simulations show that ecological analyses of NOM data that include FTMS peak intensities are often valid. This opens a path for robust use of FTMS peak intensities for NOM.
Shao-Min Chen, Thibaud Dezutter, David Cote, Catherine Lalande, Evan Edinger, and Owen A. Sherwood
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3265, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3265, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The origins and composition of sinking organic matter are still understudied for the oceans, especially in ice-covered areas. We use amino acid stable isotopes combined with particle flux and plankton taxonomy to investigate the sources and composition of exported organic matter from a sediment trap derived time-series of sinking particles in the northwest Labrador Sea. We found that sea ice algae and fecal pellets may be important contributors to the sinking fluxes of carbon and nitrogen.
Evan R. Collins, Troy M. Ferland, Isla S. Castañeda, R. Bernhart Owen, Tim K. Lowenstein, Andrew S. Cohen, Robin W. Renaut, Molly D. O'Beirne, and Josef P. Werne
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3006, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3006, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Archaeal molecular fossils (tetraethers) have been used around the globe to track changes in climate. Little is known about archaeal response to environmental change in soda lakes, especially lakes influenced by hydrothermal inputs. For the first time in Lake Magadi, we show tetraethers tracking abrupt changes in methane and non-methane producers due to hydrothermal inputs to the lake. This study provides insight into the role of hydrothermal water sources and methane production in soda lakes.
Adam J. Fagan, Tatsuro Tanioka, Alyse A. Larkin, Jenna A. Lee, Nathan S. Garcia, and Adam C. Martiny
Biogeosciences, 21, 4239–4250, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4239-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4239-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change is anticipated to influence the biological pump by altering phytoplankton nutrient distribution. In our research, we collected measurements of particulate matter concentrations during two oceanographic field studies. We observed systematic variations in organic matter concentrations and ratios across the Atlantic Ocean. From statistical modeling, we determined that these variations are associated with differences in the availability of essential nutrients for phytoplankton growth.
Sebastian I. Cantarero, Edgart Flores, Harry Allbrook, Paulina Aguayo, Cristian A. Vargas, John E. Tamanaha, J. Bentley C. Scholz, Lennart T. Bach, Carolin R. Löscher, Ulf Riebesell, Balaji Rajagopalan, Nadia Dildar, and Julio Sepúlveda
Biogeosciences, 21, 3927–3958, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3927-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3927-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Our study explores lipid remodeling in response to environmental stress, specifically how cell membrane chemistry changes. We focus on intact polar lipids in a phytoplankton community exposed to diverse stressors in a mesocosm experiment. The observed remodeling indicates acyl chain recycling for energy storage in intact polar lipids during stress, reallocating resources based on varying growth conditions. This understanding is essential to grasp the system's impact on cellular pools.
Mengke Wang, Peng Zhang, Huishan Li, Guisen Deng, Deliang Kong, Sifang Kong, and Junjian Wang
Biogeosciences, 21, 2691–2704, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2691-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We developed and applied complementary analyses to characterize molecular-level carbon traits for water-grown and soil-grown fine roots. The adaptive strategy of developing more labile carbon in water-grown roots accelerated root decomposition and counteracted the decelerated effects of anoxia on decomposition, highlighting an indirect effect of environmental change on belowground carbon cycling.
Zhe-Xuan Zhang, Edith Parlanti, Christelle Anquetil, Jérôme Morelle, Anniet M. Laverman, Alexandre Thibault, Elisa Bou, and Arnaud Huguet
Biogeosciences, 21, 2227–2252, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2227-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2227-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Bacterial tetraethers have important implications for palaeoclimate reconstruction. However, fundamental understanding of how these lipids are transformed from land to sea and which environmental factors influence their distributions is lacking. Here, we investigate the sources of brGDGTs and brGMGTs and the factors controlling their distributions in a large dataset (n=237). We propose a novel proxy (RIX) to trace riverine runoff, which is applicable in modern systems and in paleorecord.
Youcheng Bai, Marie-Alexandrine Sicre, Jian Ren, Vincent Klein, Haiyan Jin, and Jianfang Chen
Biogeosciences, 21, 689–709, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-689-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-689-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Algal biomarkers were used to assess sea ice and pelagic algal production across the western Arctic Ocean with changing sea-ice conditions. They show three distinct areas along with a marked latitudinal gradient of sea ice over pelagic algal production in surface sediments that are reflected by the H-Print index. Our data also show that efficient grazing consumption accounted for the dramatic decrease of diatom-derived biomarkers in sediments compared to that of particulate matter.
Hanxiao Wang, Zhifei Liu, Jiaying Li, Baozhi Lin, Yulong Zhao, Xiaodong Zhang, Junyuan Cao, Jingwen Zhang, Hongzhe Song, and Wenzhuo Wang
Biogeosciences, 20, 5109–5123, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5109-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5109-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The sinking of zooplankton fecal pellets is a key process in the marine biological carbon pump. This study presents carbon export of four shapes of fecal pellets from two time-series sediment traps in the South China Sea. The results show that the sinking fate of fecal pellets is regulated by marine primary productivity, deep-dwelling zooplankton community, and deep-sea currents in the tropical marginal sea, thus providing a new perspective for exploring the carbon cycle in the world ocean.
Rebecca J. Chmiel, Riss M. Kell, Deepa Rao, Dawn M. Moran, Giacomo R. DiTullio, and Mak A. Saito
Biogeosciences, 20, 3997–4027, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3997-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3997-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cobalt is an important micronutrient for plankton, yet it is often scarce throughout the oceans. A 2017/2018 expedition to coastal Antarctica, including regions of the Amundsen Sea and the Ross Sea, discovered lower concentrations of cobalt compared to two past expeditions in 2005 and 2006, particularly for the type of cobalt preferred as a nutrient by phytoplankton. This loss may be due to changing inputs of other nutrients, causing higher uptake of cobalt by plankton over the last decade.
Emily B. Graham, Hyun-Seob Song, Samantha Grieger, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, James C. Stegen, Kevin D. Bladon, and Allison N. Myers-Pigg
Biogeosciences, 20, 3449–3457, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3449-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3449-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Intensifying wildfires are increasing pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) production and its impact on water quality. Recent work indicates that PyOM may have a greater impact on aquatic biogeochemistry than previously assumed, driven by higher bioavailability. We provide a full assessment of the potential bioavailability of PyOM across its chemical spectrum. We indicate that PyOM can be actively transformed within the river corridor and, therefore, may be a growing source of riverine C emissions.
Nora Richter, Ellen C. Hopmans, Danica Mitrović, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Vítor Gonçalves, Ana C. Costa, Linda A. Amaral-Zettler, Laura Villanueva, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 20, 2065–2098, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2065-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2065-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are a diverse class of lipids produced by bacteria across a wide range of environments. This study characterizes the diversity of BHPs in lakes and coastal lagoons in the Azores Archipelago, as well as a co-culture enriched for methanotrophs. We highlight the potential of BHPs as taxonomic markers for bacteria associated with certain ecological niches, which can be preserved in sedimentary records.
Andrea Scheibe, Carlos A. Sierra, and Marie Spohn
Biogeosciences, 20, 827–838, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-827-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-827-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We explored carbon cycling in soils in three climate zones in Chile down to a depth of 6 m, using carbon isotopes. Our results show that microbial activity several meters below the soil surface is mostly fueled by recently fixed carbon and that strong decomposition of soil organic matter only occurs in the upper decimeters of the soils. The study shows that different layers of the critical zone are tightly connected and that processes in the deep soil depend on recently fixed carbon.
Melissa Sophia Schwab, Hannah Gies, Chantal Valérie Freymond, Maarten Lupker, Negar Haghipour, and Timothy Ian Eglinton
Biogeosciences, 19, 5591–5616, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5591-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5591-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The majority of river studies focus on headwater or floodplain systems, while often neglecting intermediate river segments. Our study on the subalpine Sihl River bridges the gap between streams and lowlands and demonstrates that moderately steep river segments are areas of significant instream alterations, modulating the export of organic carbon over short distances.
Lisa Noll, Shasha Zhang, Qing Zheng, Yuntao Hu, Florian Hofhansl, and Wolfgang Wanek
Biogeosciences, 19, 5419–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5419-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5419-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Cleavage of proteins to smaller nitrogen compounds allows microorganisms and plants to exploit the largest nitrogen reservoir in soils and is considered the bottleneck in soil organic nitrogen cycling. Results from soils covering a European transect show that protein turnover is constrained by soil geochemistry, shifts in climate and associated alterations in soil weathering and should be considered as a driver of soil nitrogen availability with repercussions on carbon cycle processes.
Muhammed Fatih Sert, Helge Niemann, Eoghan P. Reeves, Mats A. Granskog, Kevin P. Hand, Timo Kekäläinen, Janne Jänis, Pamela E. Rossel, Bénédicte Ferré, Anna Silyakova, and Friederike Gründger
Biogeosciences, 19, 2101–2120, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2101-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2101-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate organic matter composition in the Arctic Ocean water column. We collected seawater samples from sea ice to deep waters at six vertical profiles near an active hydrothermal vent and its plume. In comparison to seawater, we found that the organic matter in waters directly affected by the hydrothermal plume had different chemical composition. We suggest that hydrothermal processes may influence the organic matter distribution in the deep ocean.
Charlotte Haugk, Loeka L. Jongejans, Kai Mangelsdorf, Matthias Fuchs, Olga Ogneva, Juri Palmtag, Gesine Mollenhauer, Paul J. Mann, P. Paul Overduin, Guido Grosse, Tina Sanders, Robyn E. Tuerena, Lutz Schirrmeister, Sebastian Wetterich, Alexander Kizyakov, Cornelia Karger, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 19, 2079–2094, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2079-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2079-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Buried animal and plant remains (carbon) from the last ice age were freeze-locked in permafrost. At an extremely fast eroding permafrost cliff in the Lena Delta (Siberia), we found this formerly frozen carbon well preserved. Our results show that ongoing degradation releases substantial amounts of this carbon, making it available for future carbon emissions. This mobilisation at the studied cliff and also similarly eroding sites bear the potential to affect rivers and oceans negatively.
Aleksandar I. Goranov, Andrew S. Wozniak, Kyle W. Bostick, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Siddhartha Mitra, and Patrick G. Hatcher
Biogeosciences, 19, 1491–1514, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1491-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1491-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Wildfire-derived molecules are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment, but their biological fate remains understudied. We have evaluated the compositional changes that occur to wildfire-derived molecules after incubation with soil microbes. We observe a significant degradation but also a production of numerous new labile molecules. Our results indicate that wildfire-derived molecules can be broken down and the carbon and nitrogen therein can be incorporated into microbial food webs.
Edgart Flores, Sebastian I. Cantarero, Paula Ruiz-Fernández, Nadia Dildar, Matthias Zabel, Osvaldo Ulloa, and Julio Sepúlveda
Biogeosciences, 19, 1395–1420, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1395-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1395-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigate the chemical diversity and abundance of microbial lipids as markers of organic matter sources in the deepest points of the Atacama Trench sediments and compare them to similar lipid stocks in shallower surface sediments and in the overlying water column. We evaluate possible organic matter provenance and some potential chemical adaptations of the in situ microbial community to the extreme conditions of high hydrostatic pressure in hadal realm.
Birgit Gaye, Niko Lahajnar, Natalie Harms, Sophie Anna Luise Paul, Tim Rixen, and Kay-Christian Emeis
Biogeosciences, 19, 807–830, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-807-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-807-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Amino acids were analyzed in a large number of samples of particulate and dissolved organic matter from coastal regions and the open ocean. A statistical analysis produced two new biogeochemical indicators. An indicator of sinking particle and sediment degradation (SDI) traces the degradation of organic matter from the surface waters into the sediments. A second indicator shows the residence time of suspended matter in the ocean (RTI).
Zoë R. van Kemenade, Laura Villanueva, Ellen C. Hopmans, Peter Kraal, Harry J. Witte, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 19, 201–221, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-201-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-201-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an important nitrogen-removal process in the ocean. We assess the distribution of bacteriohopanetetrol-x (BHT-x), used to trace past anammox, along a redox gradient in the water column of the Benguela upwelling system. BHT-x / BHT ratios of >0.18 correspond to the presence of living anammox bacteria and oxygen levels <50 μmol L−1. This allows for a more robust application of BHT-x to trace past marine anammox and deoxygenation in dynamic marine systems.
Jia-Jang Hung, Ching-Han Tung, Zong-Ying Lin, Yuh-ling Lee Chen, Shao-Hung Peng, Yen-Huei Lin, and Li-Shan Tsai
Biogeosciences, 18, 5141–5162, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5141-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5141-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We report measured active and passive fluxes and their controlling mechanisms in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). The total fluxes were higher than most reports in open oceans, indicating the significance of NSCS in atmospheric CO2 uptake and in storing that CO2 in the ocean’s interior. Winter cooling and extreme events enhanced nutrient availability and elevated fluxes. Global warming may have profound impacts on reducing ocean’s uptake and storage of CO2 in subtropical–tropical oceans.
Jens Daniel Müller, Bernd Schneider, Ulf Gräwe, Peer Fietzek, Marcus Bo Wallin, Anna Rutgersson, Norbert Wasmund, Siegfried Krüger, and Gregor Rehder
Biogeosciences, 18, 4889–4917, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4889-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4889-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Based on profiling pCO2 measurements from a field campaign, we quantify the biomass production of a cyanobacteria bloom in the Baltic Sea, the export of which would foster deep water deoxygenation. We further demonstrate how this biomass production can be accurately reconstructed from long-term surface measurements made on cargo vessels in combination with modelled temperature profiles. This approach enables a better understanding of a severe concern for the Baltic’s good environmental status.
Alexander Braun, Marina Spona-Friedl, Maria Avramov, Martin Elsner, Federico Baltar, Thomas Reinthaler, Gerhard J. Herndl, and Christian Griebler
Biogeosciences, 18, 3689–3700, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3689-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3689-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
It is known that CO2 fixation by photoautotrophic organisms is the major sink from the atmosphere. While biologists are aware that CO2 fixation also occurs in heterotrophic organisms, this route of inorganic carbon, and its quantitative role, is hardly recognized in biogeochemistry. We demonstrate that a considerable amount of CO2 is fixed annually through anaplerotic reactions in heterotrophic organisms, and a significant quantity of inorganic carbon is temporally sequestered in biomass.
Jonathan H. Raberg, David J. Harning, Sarah E. Crump, Greg de Wet, Aria Blumm, Sebastian Kopf, Áslaug Geirsdóttir, Gifford H. Miller, and Julio Sepúlveda
Biogeosciences, 18, 3579–3603, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3579-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3579-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
BrGDGT lipids are a proxy for temperature in lake sediments, but other parameters like pH can influence them, and seasonality can affect the temperatures they record. We find a warm-season bias at 43 new high-latitude sites. We also present a new method that deconvolves the effects of temperature, pH, and conductivity and generate global calibrations for these variables. Our study provides new paleoclimate tools, insight into brGDGTs at the biochemical level, and a new method for future study.
Charlotte L. Spencer-Jones, Erin L. McClymont, Nicole J. Bale, Ellen C. Hopmans, Stefan Schouten, Juliane Müller, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Claire Allen, Torsten Bickert, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Elaine Mawbey, Victoria Peck, Aleksandra Svalova, and James A. Smith
Biogeosciences, 18, 3485–3504, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3485-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term ocean temperature records are needed to fully understand the impact of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are powerful tools for reconstructing ocean temperature but can be difficult to apply to the Southern Ocean. Our results show active GDGT synthesis in relatively warm depths of the ocean. This research improves the application of GDGT palaeoceanographic proxies in the Southern Ocean.
Alec W. Armstrong, Leanne Powers, and Michael Gonsior
Biogeosciences, 18, 3367–3390, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3367-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3367-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Living things decay into organic matter, which can dissolve into water (like tea brewing). Tea receives its color by absorbing light. Similarly, this material absorbs light, which can then cause chemical reactions that change it. By measuring changes in these optical properties, we found that materials from some places are more sensitive to light than others. Comparing sensitivity to light helps us understand where these materials come from and what happens as they move through water.
Ben J. Fisher, Johan C. Faust, Oliver W. Moore, Caroline L. Peacock, and Christian März
Biogeosciences, 18, 3409–3419, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3409-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3409-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Organic carbon can be protected from microbial degradation in marine sediments through association with iron minerals on 1000-year timescales. Despite the importance of this carbon sink, our spatial and temporal understanding of iron-bound organic carbon interactions globally is poor. Here we show that caution must be applied when comparing quantification of iron-bound organic carbon extracted by different methods as the extraction strength and method specificity can be highly variable.
Mark A. Stevenson, Suzanne McGowan, Emma J. Pearson, George E. A. Swann, Melanie J. Leng, Vivienne J. Jones, Joseph J. Bailey, Xianyu Huang, and Erika Whiteford
Biogeosciences, 18, 2465–2485, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We link detailed stable isotope and biomarker analyses from the catchments of three Arctic upland lakes on Disko Island (West Greenland) to a recent dated sediment core to understand how carbon cycling has changed over the past ~500 years. We find that the carbon deposited in sediments in these upland lakes is predominately sourced from in-lake production due to the catchment's limited terrestrial vegetation and elevation and that recent increases in algal production link with climate change.
Nadine T. Smit, Laura Villanueva, Darci Rush, Fausto Grassa, Caitlyn R. Witkowski, Mira Holzheimer, Adriaan J. Minnaard, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 18, 1463–1479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1463-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1463-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Soils from an everlasting fire (gas seep) in Sicily, Italy, reveal high relative abundances of novel uncultivated mycobacteria and unique 13C-depleted mycocerosic acids (multi-methyl branched fatty acids) close to the main gas seep. Our results imply that mycocerosic acids in combination with their depleted δ13C values offer a new biomarker tool to study the role of soil mycobacteria as hydrocarbon consumers in the modern and past global carbon cycle.
Marcus P. S. Badger
Biogeosciences, 18, 1149–1160, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1149-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1149-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Reconstructing ancient atmospheric CO2 is an important aim of palaeoclimate science in order to understand the Earth's climate system. One method, the alkenone proxy based on molecular fossils of coccolithophores, has been recently shown to be ineffective at low-to-moderate CO2 levels. In this paper I show that this is likely due to changes in the biogeochemistry of the coccolithophores when there is low carbon availability, but for much of the Cenozoic the alkenone proxy should have utility.
Loes G. J. van Bree, Francien Peterse, Allix J. Baxter, Wannes De Crop, Sigrid van Grinsven, Laura Villanueva, Dirk Verschuren, and Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
Biogeosciences, 17, 5443–5463, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5443-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5443-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are used as a paleothermometer based on their temperature dependence in global soils, but aquatic production complicates their use in lakes. BrGDGTs in the water column of Lake Chala, East Africa, respond to oxygen conditions and mixing. Changes in their signal can be linked to bacterial community composition rather than membrane adaptation to changing conditions. Their integrated signal in the sediment reflects mean air temperature.
Alexandra N. Loginova, Andrew W. Dale, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, Sören Thomsen, Stefan Sommer, David Clemens, Klaus Wallmann, and Anja Engel
Biogeosciences, 17, 4663–4679, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4663-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4663-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON) and matter (DOM) optical properties in pore waters and near-bottom waters of the eastern tropical South Pacific off Peru. The difference between diffusion-driven and net fluxes of DOC and DON and qualitative changes in DOM optical properties suggested active microbial utilisation of the released DOM at the sediment–water interface. Our results suggest that the sediment release of DOM contributes to microbial processes in the area.
Gerard J. M. Versteegh, Alexander J. P. Houben, and Karin A. F. Zonneveld
Biogeosciences, 17, 3545–3561, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3545-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3545-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Anoxic sediments mostly contain much more organic matter than oxic ones, and therefore organic matter in anoxic settings is often considered to be preserved better than in oxic settings. However, through the analysis of the same fossil dinoflagellate cyst species from both oxic and anoxic settings, we show that at a molecular level the preservation in the oxic sediments may be better since in the anoxic setting the cyst macromolecule has been altered by postdepositional modification.
Jingjing Guo, Miriam Glendell, Jeroen Meersmans, Frédérique Kirkels, Jack J. Middelburg, and Francien Peterse
Biogeosciences, 17, 3183–3201, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3183-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3183-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The fluxes of soil organic carbon (OC) transport from land to sea are poorly constrained, mostly due to the lack of a specific tracer for soil OC. Here we evaluate the use of specific molecules derived from soil bacteria as a tracer for soil OC in a small river catchment. We find that the initial soil signal is lost upon entering the aquatic environment. However, the local environmental history of the catchment is reflected by these molecules in the lake sediments that act as their sink.
Zhuo-Yi Zhu, Joanne Oakes, Bradley Eyre, Youyou Hao, Edwin Sien Aun Sia, Shan Jiang, Moritz Müller, and Jing Zhang
Biogeosciences, 17, 2473–2485, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2473-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2473-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Samples were collected in August 2016 in the Rajang River and its estuary, with tropical forest in the river basin and peatland in the estuary. Organic matter composition was influenced by transportation in the river basin, whereas peatland added clear biodegraded parts to the fluvial organic matter, which implies modification of the initial lability and/or starting points in the subsequent degradation and alternation processes after the organic matter enters the sea.
Wenjie Xiao, Yasong Wang, Yongsheng Liu, Xi Zhang, Linlin Shi, and Yunping Xu
Biogeosciences, 17, 2135–2148, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2135-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2135-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The hadal zone (6–11 km depth) is the least explored habitat on Earth. We studied microbial branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in the Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench. One unique feature is the strong predominance of 6-methyl brGDGT, which likely reflects an adaption of brGDGT-producing bacteria to alkaline seawater and low temperature. BrGDGTs, with elemental and isotopic data, suggest an autochthonous product for brGDGT. A new approach is proposed for brGDGT sourcing.
Yuge Bai, Edisson Subdiaga, Stefan B. Haderlein, Heike Knicker, and Andreas Kappler
Biogeosciences, 17, 683–698, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-683-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-683-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Biogeochemical processes of SOM are key for greenhouse gas emission and water quality. We extracted SOM by water or by NaOH–HCl under oxic–anoxic conditions. Chemical and anoxic extractions lead to higher SOM electron exchange capacities, resulting in stimulation of microbial Fe(III) reduction. Therefore, aqueous pH-neutral SOM extracts should be used to reflect environmental SOM redox processes, and artifacts of chemical extractions need to be considered when evaluating SOM redox processes.
Yan Shen, Volker Thiel, Pablo Suarez-Gonzalez, Sebastiaan W. Rampen, and Joachim Reitner
Biogeosciences, 17, 649–666, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-649-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-649-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Today, sterols are widespread in plants, animals, and fungi but are almost absent in the oldest rocks. Microbial mats, representing the earliest complex ecosystems on Earth, were omnipresent in Precambrian marine environments and may have degraded the sterols at that time. Here we analyze the distribution of sterols through a microbial mat. This provides insight into how variations in biological and nonbiological factors affect the preservation of sterols in modern and ancient microbial mats.
Sarah Coffinet, Travis B. Meador, Lukas Mühlena, Kevin W. Becker, Jan Schröder, Qing-Zeng Zhu, Julius S. Lipp, Verena B. Heuer, Matthew P. Crump, and Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
Biogeosciences, 17, 317–330, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-317-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-317-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study deals with two membrane lipids called BDGTs and PDGTs. Membrane lipids are molecules forming the cell envelope of all organisms. Different organisms produce different lipids thus they can be used to detect the presence of specific organisms in the environment. We analyzed the structure of these new lipids and looked for potential producers. We found that they are likely made by microbes emitting methane below the sediment surface and could be used to track these specific microbes.
Ying Wu, Kun Zhu, Jing Zhang, Moritz Müller, Shan Jiang, Aazani Mujahid, Mohd Fakharuddin Muhamad, and Edwin Sien Aun Sia
Biogeosciences, 16, 4517–4533, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4517-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4517-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Our understanding of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) in tropical peat-draining rivers remains limited, especially in Southeast Asia. We explored the characteristics of TOM via bulk parameters and lignin phenols of sediment in Malaysia. This showed that the most important plant source of the organic matter in these rivers is woody angiosperm C3 plants with limited diagenetic alteration. This slower degradation of TOM may be a link to higher total nitrogen content, especially for the small river.
Caitlyn R. Witkowski, Sylvain Agostini, Ben P. Harvey, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Stefan Schouten
Biogeosciences, 16, 4451–4461, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4451-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4451-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon dioxide concentrations (pCO2) in the atmosphere play an integral role in Earth system dynamics, especially climate. Past climates help us understand future ones, but reconstructing pCO2 over the geologic record remains a challenge. This research demonstrates new approaches for exploring past pCO2 via the carbon isotope fractionation in general algal lipids, which we test over a high CO2 gradient from a naturally occurring CO2 seep.
Yongli Zhou, Patrick Martin, and Moritz Müller
Biogeosciences, 16, 2733–2749, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2733-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2733-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We found that peatlands in coastal Sarawak, Borneo, export extremely humified organic matter, which dominates the riverine organic matter pool and conservatively mixes with seawater, while the freshly produced fraction is low and stable in concentration at all salinities. We estimated that terrigenous fractions, which showed high photolability, still account for 20 % of the coastal dissolved organic carbon pool, implying the importance of peat-derived organic matter in the coastal carbon cycle.
Cited articles
Abramson, L., Lee, C., Liu, Z., Wakeham, S. G., and Szlosek, J.: Exchange between suspended and sinking particles in the northwest Mediterranean as inferred from the organic composition of in situ pump and sediment trap samples, Limnol. Oceanogr., 55, 725–739, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2010.55.2.0725, 2010.
Abreu-Grobois, F. A., Billyard, T. C., and Walton, T. J.: Biosynthesis of heterocyst glycolipids of Anabaena cylindrica, Phytochemistry, 16, 351–354, https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)80063-0, 1977.
Bale, N., de Vries, S., Hopmans, E. C., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., and Schouten, S.: A method for quantifying heterocyst glycolipids in biomass and sediments, Org. Geochem., 110, 33–35, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2017.04.010, 2017.
Bale, N. J., Villanueva, L., Hopmans, E. C., Schouten, S., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Different seasonality of pelagic and benthic Thaumarchaeota in the North Sea, Biogeosciences, 10, 7195–7206, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7195-2013, 2013.
Bale, N. J., Hopmans, E. C., Zell, C., Sobrinho, R. L., Kim, J.-H., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., Villareal, T. A., and Schouten, S.: Long chain glycolipids with pentose head groups as biomarkers for marine endosymbiotic heterocystous cyanobacteria, Org. Geochem., 81, 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2015.01.004, 2015.
Bale, N. J., Hopmans, E. C., Schoon, P. L., de Kluijver, A., Downing, J. A., Middelburg, J. J., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., and Schouten, S.: Impact of trophic state on the distribution of intact polar lipids in surface waters of lakes, Limnol. Oceanogr., 61, 1065–1077, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10274, 2016.
Bale, N. J., Villareal, T. A., Hopmans, E. C., Brussaard, C. P. D., Besseling, M., Dorhout, D. J. C., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., and Schouten, S.: C5 glycolipids of heterocystous cyanobacteria track symbiont abundance in the diatom Hemiaulus hauckii across the tropical North Atlantic, PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.886399, 2018.
Bauersachs, T., Compaore, J., Hopmans, E. C., Stal, L. J., Schouten, S., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Distribution of heterocyst glycolipids in cyanobacteria, Phytochemistry, 70(17–18), 2034–2039, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.08.014, 2009a.
Bauersachs, T., Hopmans, E. C., Compaore, J., Stal, L. J., Schouten, S., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Rapid analysis of long-chain glycolipids in heterocystous cyanobacteria using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, Rapid Commun. Mass Sp., 23, 1387–1394, https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.4009, 2009b.
Bauersachs, T., Speelman, E. N., Hopmans, E. C., Reichart, G.-J., Schouten, S., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Fossilized glycolipids reveal past oceanic N2 fixation by heterocystous cyanobacteria, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 107, 19190–19194, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007526107, 2010.
Bauersachs, T., Compaore, J., Severin, I., Hopmans, E. C., Schouten, S., Stal, L. J., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Diazotrophic microbial community of coastal microbial mats of the southern North Sea, Geobiology, 9, 349–359, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2011.00280.x, 2011.
Bauersachs, T., Mudimu, O., Schulz, R., and Schwark, L.: Distribution of long chain heterocyst glycolipids in N2 fixing cyanobacteria of the order Stigonematales, Phytochemistry, 98, 145–150, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.11.007, 2014.
Besseling et al.: in preparation, 2018.
Borstad, G. A.: Some Aspects of the Occurrence and Biology of Trichodesmium (Cyanophyta) in the Western Tropical Atlantic near Barbados, West Indies, McGill University, Montreal, 1978.
Bryce, T. A., Welti, D., Walsby, A. E., and Nichols, B. W.: Monohexoside derivatives of long-chain polyhydroxy alcohols; a novel class of glycolipid specific to heterocystous algae, Phytochemistry, 11, 295–302, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)90006-2, 1972.
Buddrick, O., Jones, O. A. H., Morrison, P. D., and Small, D. M.: Heptane as a less toxic option than hexane for the separation of vitamin E from food products using normal phase HPLC, RSC Adv., 3, 24063, https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ra44442b, 2013.
Bühring, S. I., Kamp, A., Wörmer, L., Ho, S., and Hinrichs, K.-U.: Functional structure of laminated microbial sediments from a supratidal sandy beach of the German Wadden Sea (St. Peter-Ording), J. Sea Res., 85, 463–473, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2013.08.001, 2014.
Carelli, V., Franceschini, F., Venturi, S., Barboni, P., Savini, G., Barbieri, G., Pirro, E., La Morgia, C., Valentino, M. L., Zanardi, F., Violante, F. S., and Mattioli, S.: Grand rounds: Could occupational exposure to n-hexane and other solvents precipitate visual failure in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy?, Environ. Health Persp., 115, 113–115, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9245, 2007.
Carpenter, E. J.: Nitrogen fixation by a blue-green epiphyte on pelagic Sargassum, Science, 178, 1207–1209, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.178.4066.1207, 1972.
Carpenter, E. J., Montoya, J. P., Burns, J., Mulholland, M. R., Subramaniam, A., and Capone, D. G.: Extensive bloom of a N2-fixing diatom/cyanobacterial association in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 185, 273–283, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps185273, 1999.
Conroy, B. J., Steinberg, D. K., Stukel, M. R., Goes, J. I., and Coles, V. J.: Meso- and microzooplankton grazing in the Amazon River plume and western tropical North Atlantic, Limnol. Oceanogr., 61, 825–840, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10261, 2016.
Daughtrey, W., Newton, P., Rhoden, R., Kirwin, C., Haddock, L., Duffy, J., Keenan, T., Richter, W., and Nicolich, M.: Chronic inhalation carcinogenicity study of commercial hexane solvent in F-344 rats and B6C3F1 mice, Toxicol. Sci., 48, 21–29, https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/48.1.21, 1999.
Elliott, M. and McLusky, D. S.: The need for definitions in understanding estuaries, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 55, 815–827, https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.2002.1031, 2002.
Foster, R. A. and Zehr, J. P.: Characterization of diatom-cyanobacteria symbioses on the basis of nifH, hetRand 16S rRNA sequences, Environ. Microbiol., 8, 1913–1925, 2006.
Foster, R. A., Subramaniam, A., Mahaffey, C., Carpenter, E. J., Capone, D. G., and Zehr, J. P.: Influence of the Amazon River plume on distributions of free-living and symbiotic cyanobacteria in the western tropical north Atlantic Ocean, Limnol. Oceanogr., 52, 517–532, 2007.
Foster, R. A., Kuypers, M. M. M., Vagner, T., Paerl, R. W., Musat, N., and Zehr, J. P.: Nitrogen fixation and transfer in open ocean diatom-cyanobacterial symbioses, ISME J., 5, 1484–1493, https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.26, 2011.
Gambacorta, A., Soriente, A., Trincone, A., and Sodano, G.: Biosynthesis of the heterocyst glycolipids in the cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica, Phytochemistry, 39, 771–774, https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00007-T, 1995.
Gambacorta, A., Pagnotta, E., Romano, I., Sodano, G., and Trincone, A.: Heterocyst glycolipids from nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria other than Nostocaceae, Phytochemistry, 48, 801–805, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00954-0, 1998.
Goes, J. I., Gomes, H. do R., Chekalyuk, A. M., Carpenter, E. J., Montoya, J. P., Coles, V. J., Yager, P. L., Berelson, W. M., Capone, D. G., Foster, R. A., Steinberg, D. K., Subramaniam, A., and Hafez, M. A.: Influence of the Amazon River discharge on the biogeography of phytoplankton communities in the western tropical north Atlantic, Prog. Oceanogr., 120, 29–40, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2013.07.010, 2014.
Gómez, F., Furuya, K., and Takeda, S.: Distribution of the cyanobacterium Richelia intracellularis as an epiphyte of the diatom Chaetoceros compressus in the western Pacific Ocean, J. Plankton Res., 27, 323–330, https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbi007, 2005.
Grasshoff, K., Ed.: Methods of Seawater Analysis, 2nd ed., Verlag Chemie, Weinheim, 1983.
Hanson, R. B.: Pelagic Sargassum community metabolism: Carbon and nitrogen, J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 29, 107–118, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(77)90042-9, 1977.
Hilton, J. A.: Ecology and Evolution of Diatom-associated Cyanobacteria through Genetic Analyses, PhD thesis, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA, 2014.
Janson, S., Wouters, J., Bergman, B., and Carpenter, E. J.: Host specificity in the Richelia-diatom symbioses revealed by hetR gene sequence analyses, Environ. Microbiol., 1, 431–438, 1999.
Karl, D., Letelier, R., Tupas, L., Dore, J., Christian, J., and Hebel, D.: The role of nitrogen fixation in biogeochemical cycling in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, Nature, 388, 533–538, https://doi.org/10.1038/41474, 1997.
Karl, D. M., Church, M. J., Dore, J. E., Letelier, R. M., and Mahaffey, C.: Predictable and efficient carbon sequestration in the North Pacific Ocean supported by symbiotic nitrogen fixation, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 109, 1842–1849, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1120312109, 2012.
Lee, K., Karl, D. M., Wanninkhof, R., and Zhang, J. Z.: Global estimates of net carbon production in the nitrate-depleted tropical and subtropical oceans, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 13-1–13-4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GL014198, 2002.
Luo, Y.-W., Doney, S. C., Anderson, L. A., Benavides, M., Berman-Frank, I., Bode, A., Bonnet, S., Boström, K. H., Böttjer, D., Capone, D. G., Carpenter, E. J., Chen, Y. L., Church, M. J., Dore, J. E., Falcón, L. I., Fernández, A., Foster, R. A., Furuya, K., Gómez, F., Gundersen, K., Hynes, A. M., Karl, D. M., Kitajima, S., Langlois, R. J., LaRoche, J., Letelier, R. M., Marañón, E., McGillicuddy Jr., D. J., Moisander, P. H., Moore, C. M., Mouriño-Carballido, B., Mulholland, M. R., Needoba, J. A., Orcutt, K. M., Poulton, A. J., Rahav, E., Raimbault, P., Rees, A. P., Riemann, L., Shiozaki, T., Subramaniam, A., Tyrrell, T., Turk-Kubo, K. A., Varela, M., Villareal, T. A., Webb, E. A., White, A. E., Wu, J., and Zehr, J. P.: Database of diazotrophs in global ocean: abundance, biomass and nitrogen fixation rates, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 4, 47–73, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-4-47-2012, 2012.
Mackey, M. D., Mackey, D. J., Higgins, H. W., and Wright, S. W.: CHEMTAX – a program for estimating class abundances from chemical markers: application to HPLC measurements of phytoplankton, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 144, 265–283, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps144265, 1996.
Momper, L. M., Reese, B. K., Carvalho, G., Lee, P., and Webb, E. A.: A novel cohabitation between two diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the oligotrophic ocean, ISME J., 9, 882–893, https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.186, 2015.
Moore, E. K., Hopmans, E. C., Rijpstra, W. I. C., Villanueva, L., Dedysh, S. N., Kulichevskaya, I. S., Wienk, H., Schoutsen, F., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Novel mono-, di-, and trimethylornithine membrane lipids in northern wetland Planctomycetes, Appl. Environ. Microb., 79, 6874–6884, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02169-13, 2013.
Muller-Karger, F. E., McClain, C. R., and Richardson, P. L.: The dispersal of the Amazon's water, Nature, 333, 56–59, https://doi.org/10.1038/333056a0, 1988.
Murphy, J. and Riley, J. P.: A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters, Anal. Chim. Acta, 27, 31–36, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)88444-5, 1962.
Nichols, B. W. and Wood, B. J. B.: New glycolipid specific to nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae, Nature, 217, 767–768, https://doi.org/10.1038/217767a0, 1968.
Phlips, E. J., Willis, M., and Verchick, A.: Aspects of nitrogen fixation in Sargassum communities off the coast of Florida, J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 102, 99–119, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(86)90170-X, 1986.
Riegman, R. and Kraay, G. W.: Phytoplankton community structure derived from HPLC analysis of pigments in the Faroe-Shetland Channel during summer 1999: the distribution of taxonomic groups in relation to physical/chemical conditions in the photic zone, J. Plankton Res., 23, 191–205, https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/23.2.191, 2001.
Rippka, R., Deruelles, J., Waterbury, J., Herdman, M., and Stanier, R.: Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria, J. Gen. Microbiol., 111, 1–61, 1979.
Sandh, G., Xu, L., and Bergman, B.: Diazocyte development in the marine diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium, Microbiology, 158, 345–352, https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.051268-0, 2012.
Scharek, R., Latasa, M., Karl, D. M., and Bidigare, R. R.: Temporal variations in diatom abundance and downward vertical flux in the oligotrophic North Pacific gyre, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 46, 1051–1075, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00102-2, 1999.
Schouten, S., Villareal, T. A., Hopmans, E. C., Mets, A., Swanson, K. M., and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.: Endosymbiotic heterocystous cyanobacteria synthesize different heterocyst glycolipids than free-living heterocystous cyanobacteria, Phytochemistry, 85, 115–121, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.09.002, 2013.
Siddiqui, P. J. A., Bergman, B., and Carpenter, E. J.: Filamentous cyanobacterial associates of the marine planktonic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium, Phycologia, 31, 326–337, https://doi.org/10.2216/i0031-8884-31-3-4-326.1, 1992.
Staal, M., Meysman, F. J. R., and Stal, L. J.: Temperature excludes N2 fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria in the tropical oceans, Nature, 425, 504–507, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01999, 2003.
Strickland, J. D. H. and Parsons, T. R., Eds.: A Practical Handbook of Seawater Analysis, First, Ottawa, 1968.
Subramaniam, A., Yager, P. L., Carpenter, E. J., Mahaffey, C., Björkman, K., Cooley, S., Kustka, A. B., Montoya, J. P., Sañudo-Wilhelmy, S. A., Shipe, R., and Capone, D. G.: Amazon River enhances diazotrophy and carbon sequestration in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105, 10460–10465, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0710279105, 2008.
Venrick, E. L.: The distribution and significance of Richelia intracellularis Schmidt in the North Pacific Central Gyre, Limnol. Oceanogr., 19, 437–445, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1974.19.3.0437, 1974.
Villareal, T.: Nitrogen-fixation by the cyanobacterial symbiont of the diatom genus Hemiaulus, Mar. Ecol.-Prog. Ser., 76, 201–204, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps076201, 1991.
Villareal, T. A.: Laboratory culture and preliminary characterization of the nitrogen-fixing Rhizosolenia-Richelia symbiosis, Mar. Ecol., 11, 117–132, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0485.1990.tb00233.x, 1990.
Villareal, T. A.: Widespread occurrence of the Hemiaulus-cyanobacteria symbiosis in the southwest North Atlantic Ocean, B. Mar. Sci., 54, 1–7, 1994.
Villareal, T. A., Adornato, L., Wilson, C., and Schoenbaechler, C. A.: Summer blooms of diatom-diazotroph assemblages and surface chlorophyll in the North Pacific gyre: a disconnect, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 116, C03001, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006268, 2011.
Villareal, T. A., Brown, C. G., Brzezinski, M. A., Krause, J. W., and Wilson, C.: Summer diatom blooms in the North Pacific subtropical gyre: 2008–2009, PLoS One, 7, e33109, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0033109, 2012.
Weber, S. C., Carpenter, E. J., Coles, V. J., Yager, P. L., Goes, J., and Montoya, J. P.: Amazon River influence on nitrogen fixation and export production in the western tropical North Atlantic, Limnol. Oceanogr., 62, 618–631, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10448, 2017.
Wolk, C.: Physiology and cytological chemistry of blue-green-algae, Bacteriol. Rev., 37, 32–101, 1973.
Wörmer, L., Cires, S., Velazquez, D., Quesada, A., and Hinrichs, K.-U.: Cyanobacterial heterocyst glycolipids in cultures and environmental samples: diversity and biomarker potential, Limnol. Oceanogr., 57, 1775–1788, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2012.57.6.1775, 2012.
Short summary
Associations between diatoms and N-fixing cyanobacteria (diatom–diazotroph associations, DDAs) play an important role in the N cycle of the tropical North Atlantic. Heterocysts are the site of N fixation and contain unique glycolipids. We measured these glycolipids in the water column and surface sediment from the tropical North Atlantic. We found a significant correlation between the concentration of glycolipid and of DDAs, strengthening their application as biomarkers.
Associations between diatoms and N-fixing cyanobacteria (diatom–diazotroph associations, DDAs)...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint