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Assessment of Microzooplankton Grazing on Heterosigma akashiwo Using a Species- Specific Approach Combining Quantitative Real-Time PCR (QPCR) and Dilution Methods

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An Erratum to this article was published on 26 March 2008

Abstract

Delaware’s Inland Bays (DIB) are subject to numerous mixed blooms of harmful raphidophytes each year, and Heterosigma akashiwo is one of the consistently occurring species. Often, Chattonella subsalsa, C. cf. verruculosa, and Fibrocapsa japonica co-occur with H. akashiwo, indicating a dynamic consortium of raphidophyte species. In this study, microzooplankton grazing pressure was assessed as a top–down control mechanism on H. akashiwo populations in mixed communities. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) with species-specific primers and probes were used in conjunction with the dilution method to assess grazing pressure on H. akashiwo and other raphidophytes. As a comparison, we measured changes in chlorophyll a (chl a) to determine whole community growth and mortality caused by grazing. We detected grazing on H. akashiwo using QPCR in samples where chl a analyses indicated little or no grazing on the total phytoplankton community. Overall, specific microzooplankton grazing pressure on H. akashiwo ranged from 0.88 to 1.88 day−1 at various sites. Experiments conducted on larger sympatric raphidophytes (C. subsalsa, C. cf. verruculosa and F. japonica) demonstrated no significant microzooplankton grazing on these species. Grazing pressure on H. akashiwo may provide a competitive advantage to other raphidophytes such as Chattonella spp. that are too large to be consumed at high rates by microzooplankton and help to shape the dynamics of this harmful algal bloom consortium. Our results show that QPCR can be used in conjunction with the dilution method for evaluation of microzooplankton grazing pressure on specific phytoplankton species within a mixed community.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank K. Portune and Y. Zhang for laboratory assistance. Financial support was provided by Delaware Sea Grant 235445, EPA STAR ECOHAB R83-1041, EPA ECOHAB R83-3221, NOAA-MERHAB NA04NOS4780240, and the Center for the DIB. We thank D. Kirchman, C. Hare, R. Dale, C. Gobler, and P. Gaffney for their input to the manuscript and also the Delaware Volunteer Phytoplankton Monitoring Group (especially Coordinator Dr. E. Whereat and M. Farestad) for valuable field assistance and field data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine and Earth Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, 19958, USA

    Elif Demir, Kathryn J. Coyne, Sara M. Handy & David A. Hutchins

  2. Institute of Water and Environmental Resource Management/Department of Environmental Science, University of Technology, Sydney, Westbourne St, Gore Hill, Sydney, NSW, 2065, Australia

    Martina A. Doblin

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    David A. Hutchins

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  1. Elif Demir
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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9374-y

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Demir, E., Coyne, K.J., Doblin, M.A. et al. Assessment of Microzooplankton Grazing on Heterosigma akashiwo Using a Species- Specific Approach Combining Quantitative Real-Time PCR (QPCR) and Dilution Methods. Microb Ecol 55, 583–594 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-007-9263-9

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