Salinity control of benthic microbial mat community production in a Bahamian hypersaline lagoon

The purpose of this study was to determine the production and N 2 fixation responses of a hypersaline mat community following a reduction in salinity and nutrient enrichment. Cyanobateria-dominated microbial mat samples were collected from hypersaline Storr's Lake and normal seawater salinity P...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1995-04, Vol.187 (2), p.223-237
Main Authors: Pinckney, J., Paerl, H.W., Bebout, B.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Bahamas
Biological and medical sciences
Cyanobacteria
Cyanophyta
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hypersalinity
Marine
Microbial ecology
Microbial mat
Nutrient
Productivity
Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water)
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to determine the production and N 2 fixation responses of a hypersaline mat community following a reduction in salinity and nutrient enrichment. Cyanobateria-dominated microbial mat samples were collected from hypersaline Storr's Lake and normal seawater salinity Pigeon Creek and preincubated at ambient (90%.) and reduced (45%.) salinities following no nutrient as well as inorganic nutrient (NO 3 −, PO 4 −, trace metals) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC, as mannitol) enrichment. CO 2 and N 2 fixation rates were determined 2 and 4 days later. In addition, DOC (trace concentrations of 3H-labeled glucose and amino acids) uptake was measured in mats under normal and hypersaline conditions. A reduction in salinity from 90 to 45%. significantly enhanced CO 2 and N 2 fixation rates, but inorganic nutrient and DOC additions did not significantly enhance rates compared with the controls. Dissolved organic carbon/dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) uptake was not influenced over the entire range of salinities (45–90%.) used in this study. When salinity-induced osmotic stress was relieved, mats underwent enhanced primary production and nitrogen fixation. Abiotic stress, induced by hypersaline conditions in Bahamian lagoons, results in lower productivity of the microbial mat communities and this stress may outweigh the typical limiting factors regulating phototrophic community primary production.
ISSN:0022-0981
1879-1697
DOI:10.1016/0022-0981(94)00185-G