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Wang C, Zhao C, Zhou B, Xu Z, Ma J, Li H, Wang W, Chen X, Zhang W. Latitudinal pronounced variations in tintinnid (Ciliophora) community at surface waters from the South China Sea to the Yellow Sea: Oceanic-to-neritic species shift, biotic-abiotic interaction and future prediction. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169354. [PMID: 38104840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The oceanic-to-neritic species shift of microzooplanktonic tintinnids and their interaction with relevant abiotic variables are two crucial processes in the marine ecosystem. However, these processes remain poorly documented in China's marginal seas. In the summer of 2022, we investigated the community structure of pelagic tintinnids in surface waters from the South China Sea (SCS) to the Yellow Sea (YS), passing through the East China Sea (ECS). A number of 58 species from 23 genera were identified, with 36 and 22 species belonging to oceanic and neritic genera, respectively. The abundance proportion of oceanic and neritic genera exhibited a decreasing and increasing trend, respectively, from the SCS to YS. Furthermore, four distinctive tintinnid community groups were classified based on cluster analysis using tintinnid species and abundance data, and the position of southern Taiwan Strait was identified as the "Shift Point" for oceanic-to-neritic species dominance. The top two tintinnid species in each group showed distinct variations in body size. Additionally, multivariate biotic-abiotic statistical analyses revealed that temperature determined tintinnid species richness, while temperature, salinity, Si(OH)4, and Chl a determined tintinnid abundance. Our study provides a substantial foundation for recognizing the oceanic-to-neritic species shift of tintinnids in the China's marginal seas, and highlights the role of biotic-abiotic factors in driving biogeochemical fluxes and the potential response of microzooplankton to future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Marine Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chenhao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Bu Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zhimeng Xu
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Haibo Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Weicheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Marine Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xinhua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Marine Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Wuchang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
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Wang YX, Liu MJ, Geng XH, Zhang Y, Jia RQ, Zhang YN, Wang XX, Jiang Y. The combined effects of microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium on the marine periphytic ciliate Euplotes vannus. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119663. [PMID: 35738516 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics could be grazed by marine organisms and possibly transferred to higher trophic levels along the microbial loop. Due to their size and capacity to concentrate heavy metals that trigger joint toxic effects, microplastics (MPs) have already become a severe threat to marine organisms. The detrimental effects of MPs on large marine organisms have been studied, but the combined toxicity of MPs and cadmium (Cd) on protozoan ciliates remains unclear. In the present study, we selected different diameters and concentrations of polystyrene microspheres (PS-MPs) and Cd2+ as model MPs and heavy metals to evaluate their single and combined effects on the periphytic marine ciliate Euplotes vannus in relation to carbon biomass and oxidative stress. The MPs were indeed ingested by Euplotes vannus and significantly reduced the abundance and carbon biomass of ciliate populations. Combined exposure to MPs and Cd2+ not only increased the bioaccumulation of Cd2+ in ciliates but also exacerbated the decrease in ciliate biomass by increasing oxidative stress and membrane damage. In comparison, the effects of nano-sized plastics (0.22 μm) were more harmful than those of micro-sized plastics (1.07 μm, 2.14 μm and 5.00 μm). A smaller size represents a higher potential for penetrating biological members and a stronger adsorption capacity for cadmium. These results provide new insight into the combined toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals on ciliated protozoa and lay a foundation for higher trophic levels and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Xin Wang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Ming-Jian Liu
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Xian-Hui Geng
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Rui-Qi Jia
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yi-Ning Zhang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Wang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Maselli M, Van de Waal DB, Hansen PJ. Impacts of inorganic nutrients on the physiology of a mixoplanktonic ciliate and its cryptophyte prey. Oecologia 2022; 199:41-52. [PMID: 35460438 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05162-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Many marine planktonic ciliates retain functional chloroplasts from their photosynthetic prey and use them to incorporate inorganic carbon via photosynthesis. While this strategy provides the ciliates with carbon, little is known about their ability to incorporate major dissolved inorganic nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Here, we studied how ciliates respond to different concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Specifically, we tested the direct and indirect effects of nutrient availability on the ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum fed the cryptophyte prey Teleaulax amphioxeia. We assessed responses in the rates of growth, ingestion, photosynthesis, inorganic nutrient uptake, and excretion. Our results show that the prey changed its carbon content depending on the nutrient concentrations. Low inorganic nutrient concentrations increased S. cf. basimorphum growth and prey ingestion. The higher carbon content of the prey under these low nutrient conditions likely supported the growth of the ciliate, while the higher carbon:nutrient stoichiometry of the prey led to the higher ingestion rates. The low carbon content of the prey at high nutrient concentrations resulted in reduced growth of S. cf. basimorphum, which indicates that carbon acquired via photosynthesis in the ciliate cannot compensate for the ingestion of prey with low carbon content. In conclusion, our findings show S. cf. basimorphum is not able to utilize dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus for growth, and this species seems to be well adapted to exploit its prey when grown at low nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maira Maselli
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Helsingør, Denmark. .,Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Dedmer B Van de Waal
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Per Juel Hansen
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Helsingør, Denmark
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Zhang Y, Wang J, Geng X, Jiang Y. Does microplastic ingestion dramatically decrease the biomass of protozoa grazers? A case study on the marine ciliate Uronema marinum. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 267:129308. [PMID: 33352364 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic debris has become a significant global environmental issue. Yet, the effects on ingestion of microplastics by protozoan grazers-an important link in the microbial loop-are scant. Feeding experiments were conducted with the free-living marine ciliate Uronema marinum grazing on cultured bacteria Pseudoaltermonas sp., exposing them to different concentrations or sizes of polystyrene beads for 96 h. The number of beads decreased during exposure experiments. Under the microplastic influence, the ciliate cells were observed to decrease in abundance, body size, and biomass. It was noted that the ciliate biomass in the highest microplastic density treatment was significantly lower than that in the control (98.1% lower) and that microplastics can be ingested by ciliate protozoa which performed an important role in the transportation of energy across the microbial loop. Moreover, carbon biomass of ciliates exposed to microplastics of different particle diameters decreased significantly compared to the control. However, this effect does not seem to vary depending on microplastic sizes. This study is a first step in providing experimental insight into the feeding relationship between microplastics and marine protozoan grazers. Further research based on components of the microbial loop is needed to explore the impacts of microplastics in marine food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xianhui Geng
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
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Geng X, Wang J, Zhang Y, Jiang Y. How do microplastics affect the marine microbial loop? Predation of microplastics by microzooplankton. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:144030. [PMID: 33340809 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Protozoans play an integral role in the microbial loop, an important process of material and energy transfer in marine ecosystems. The number of microplastics in the marine environment has greatly increased, but the potential impacts of small nanoplastics and microplastics on marine organisms remain unclear. Here, we conducted a series of feeding experiments with various concentrations of microplastic beads (ca. 1 μm) to characterize the response of the planktonic ciliated protozoan Strombidium sulcatum to microplastics and a set of additional exposure experiments with four different particle diameters of microplastics to explore whether the feeding response exhibited size selectivity. As the microplastic concentration increased, the number, body size, and biomass of ciliates decreased sharply during the exposure period. Predator biomass in all microplastic treatments was markedly reduced relative to the microplastic-free control. For example, at 72 h of exposure, the biomass in the highest microplastic concentration treatment was observed to decrease by 96.59% relative to the control. There was no obvious difference in the biomass of ciliates exposed to various diameters of microplastics; however, compared with the free bead control, the biomass still significantly decreased. These findings suggest that microplastics in the ocean negatively affect the growth of protozoan microzooplankton that might have accidentally ingested these tiny particles during the feeding process. Generally, this study provides basic and novel data for understanding the effect of microplastics on the microbial loop in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianhui Geng
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
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Yang J, Chen Z, Chen D, Xu D. Spatial distribution of the microzooplankton communities in the northern South China Sea: Insights into their function in microbial food webs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 162:111898. [PMID: 33316704 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The spatial distribution of microzooplankton in the northern South China Sea was investigated in March 2016. Microzooplankton communities were dominated by cyclotrichids, aloricate oligotrichs, and choreotrichs within ciliates and the order Gymnodiniales within dinoflagellates. Microzooplankton abundance varied between 60 and 166,520 cells L-1, with higher values in the coastal diluted water, and microzooplankton biomass exhibiting a similar pattern. High densities of Akashiwo cf. sanguinea were found in the upper waters along the coast, and mixotrophs dominated the communities in all the water masses. A canonical analysis of principal coordinates showed that the spatial patterns of microzooplankton communities could be clearly discriminated in the different water masses. Our findings provide insights into the functioning of microzooplankton and the potential risk of harmful Akashiwo cf. sanguinea algal blooms in coastal waters. In addition, our study provides evidence for using microzooplankton communities as potential indicators of water masses in complex marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinpeng Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Zijian Chen
- South China Sea Marine Survey and Technology Center, SOA, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dongxing Chen
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dapeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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