Impacts of biogenic polyunsaturated aldehydes on metabolism and community composition of particle-attached bacteria in coastal hypoxia

Wu, Zhengchao; Li, Qian P.; Ge, Zaiming; Huang, Bangqin; Dong, Chunming

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1049-2021

Articles | Volume 18, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1049-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1049-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 3

Research article

|

12 Feb 2021

Research article |

| 12 Feb 2021

Impacts of biogenic polyunsaturated aldehydes on metabolism and community composition of particle-attached bacteria in coastal hypoxia

Zhengchao Wu, Qian P. Li, Zaiming Ge, Bangqin Huang, and Chunming Dong

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Final revised paper (published on 12 Feb 2021)
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Preprint (discussion started on 24 Jul 2020)
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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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RC1: 'Review Wu Poly-unsaturated aldehydes and particle -attached bacteria', Anonymous Referee #1, 09 Sep 2020
- AC1: 'Response to Anonymous Referee #1', Qian Li, 22 Oct 2020
RC2: 'Comments', Anonymous Referee #2, 22 Sep 2020
- AC2: 'Response to Anonymous Referee #2', Qian Li, 22 Oct 2020

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

ED: Reconsider after major revisions (25 Oct 2020) by Tyler Cyronak

AR by Qian Li on behalf of the Authors (02 Nov 2020) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Reconsider after major revisions (03 Nov 2020) by Tyler Cyronak

AR by Qian Li on behalf of the Authors (10 Nov 2020) Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (10 Nov 2020) by Tyler Cyronak

RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (28 Nov 2020)

Suggestions for revision or reasons for rejection

Overall the authors have taken necessary actions to adjust conclusions to the observations and current knowledge in the literature according to previous remarks. I find it acceptable for publication based on my knowledge in the subject. My comments below should stlll be considered for action where relevant.
Regarding the importance of PUA it is clear to me from the replies and revision that it is the signalling properties of PUA (rather than as a substrate) that is referred to regarding its ecological importance (added in the introduction). This is a valid statement. Still, I cannot see a reference or argument showing the PUA:s are quantitatively important in relation to other organic compounds (in either way) by challenging them in the same sample under natural conditions (cf. my comment nr. 2). A solution is to just state that PUA:s are of potential importance in the natural environment (as shown by the references), without direct comparison with other compounds.
Regarding the cut off size for particles, it may just be stated and motivated why 25 µm pore size was used, while also admitting that this may not be comparable to other cut offs used in the literature. The research field should benefit from finding a common practice.
The authors have now clarified that at least 2 true replicates were used to test the influence of PUAs on microbial growth and metabolisms.
My comment 28 in the previous review: Please make a calculation how much 0.05 % of methanol mean in final conc. of nmol dm-3? In my experience %-levels of solvents can mean high concentration as compared to natural levels of relevant substrates or toxic levels. If it is of potential influence I suggest to add a comment regarding that.

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ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (07 Dec 2020) by Tyler Cyronak

AR by Qian Li on behalf of the Authors (10 Dec 2020) Author's tracked changes

ED: Publish as is (21 Dec 2020) by Tyler Cyronak

AR by Qian Li on behalf of the Authors (23 Dec 2020) Manuscript

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Short summary

Seasonal hypoxia in the nearshore bottom waters frequently occurs in the Pearl River estuary. Aerobic respiration is the ultimate cause of local hypoxia. We found an elevated level of polyunsaturated aldehydes in the bottom water outside the estuary, which promoted the growth and metabolism of special groups of particle-attached bacteria and thus contributed to oxygen depletion in hypoxic waters. Our results may be important for understanding coastal hypoxia and its linkages to eutrophication.