Validation of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) model for 10–50 μm plankton

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2024-03, Vol.200, p.116066-116066, Article 116066
• Main Authors: Peperzak, Louis, Casas-Monroy, Oscar, Bailey, Sarah A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate; Adenosine triphosphate (ATP); Aquatic Organisms; Ballast water; Fresh Water; Organisms; Plankton; Verification; Water
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116066

A recent model demonstrated that the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of spherical aquatic organisms with a 10 to 50 μm diameter is between 0.16 and 19.9 pg cell−1. Here, the model is validated by comparing microscopy-based counts with ATP concentrations from a commercial ATP kit. The measured ATP content of both freshwater and marine organisms 10 to 50 μm size range falls in the 0.16 to 19.9 pg cell−1 model range. On average, freshwater organisms contain 0.33 pg ATP cell−1, have a spherical equivalent diameter (SED) of 13 μm, while marine organisms have 0.89 pg ATP cell−1 and a SED of 18 μm. In addition, their 13 to 18 μm size is within the 10 to 50 μm ballast water size range and in agreement with the 15 μm mean SED of a coastal plankton size-distribution model. This study concludes that the ATP-model is reliable, emphasizing the need for caution when converting three-dimensional biomass proxies into linear cell concentrations. •A recent model demonstrated that the ATP content of spherical aquatic organisms with a 10 to 50 μm diameter is between 0.16 to 19.9 pg cell-1. The model was validated by comparing microscopy-based counts with ATP concentrations from a commercial ATP kit.•On average, freshwater organisms contain 0.33 pg ATP cell-1, have a spherical equivalent diameter (SED) of 13 μm, while marine organisms have 0.89 pg ATP cell-1 and a sed of 18 μm.•The ATP content of both marine and freshwater organisms falls in the 0.16 to 19.9 pg cell-1 model range. Their 13 to 18 μm SED is within the 10 to 50 μm ballast water size range and in agreement with the average of 15 μm SED of a coastal plankton size-distribution model.•This study concludes that the ATP-model is reliable, emphasizing the need for caution when converting three-dimensional biomass proxies into linear cell concentrations.