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Is phosphorus a limiting factor to regulate the growth of phytoplankton in Daya Bay, northern South China Sea: a mesocosm experiment

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Abstract

Previous field investigations implied a potential phosphorus (P)-limitation on the growth of phytoplankton in Daya Bay, a mesotrophic bay in the northern South China Sea. Using a total of 15 mesocosms (3 × 3 × 1.5 m, with ~10.8 m3 natural seawater containing phytoplankton assemblages for each), we found P-enrichment caused no obvious effect on phytoplankton (Chl a) growth across 8-day’s cultivation in neither winter nor summer, while nitrogen (N)-enrichment greatly increased Chl a in both seasons. N plus P-enrichment further increased Chl a content. The N- or N plus P-enrichments increased the allocation of nano-Chl a but decreased micro-Chl a in most cases, with no obvious effect by P-alone. Coincided with nutrients effect on Chl a content, N- or N plus P-enrichments significantly enhanced the maximum photochemical quantum yield of Photosystem II (FV/FM) and maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax), but declined the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), as well as the threshold for light saturation of electron transport (EK); again, P-enrichment had no significant effect. Moreover, the absorption cross section for PSII photochemistry (σPSII) and electron transport efficiency (α) increased due to N- or N plus P-enrichments, indicating the increased nutrients enhance the light utilization efficiency through promoting PSII light harvesting ability, and thus to enhance phytoplankton growth. Our findings indicate that N- or N plus P-enrichments rigorously fuel phytoplankton blooms regardless of N:P ratios, making a note of caution on the expected P-deficiency or P-limitation on the basis of Redfield N:P ratios in Daya Bay.

Highlights

  • Mesocosm P-enrichment have no effect on photosynthetic performance and growth of phytoplankton assemblages in both winter and summer periods;

  • Nitrogen (N) enrichment enhanced photosynthetic capacity of phytoplankton and fueled their blooms;

  • Nitrogen (N) or N plus phosphorus (P) enrichments induced an increase of allocation of nanophytoplankton, but a decrease of microphytoplankton in most cases.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Yadong Huang from SCSIO for sampling assistance, and Yinning Zhang from Beijing Hentek Technology Co., Ltd. for equipment assistance.

Funding

This work was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0506302), National Key Basic Research Program of China (2015CB452904), National Natural Science Foundation (41890853, 41676156, 41606134), and Science and Technology Plan Project (2018FY10010004, 2017B030314052, 201707010226).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 164, Xingangxi Road, Guangdong, 510301, Guangzhou, China

    Xingyu Song, Meiting Tan, Xinying Su, Yao Li, Yehui Tan, Liangmin Huang, Pingping Shen & Gang Li

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China

    Meiting Tan, Xinying Su, Yao Li, Yehui Tan & Liangmin Huang

  3. Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, Shandong, China

    Ge Xu & Jihua Liu

  4. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510160, Guangzhou, China

    Gaungyan Ni

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  1. Xingyu Song
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  2. Meiting Tan
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  3. Ge Xu
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Correspondence to Pingping Shen or Gang Li.

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Song, X., Tan, M., Xu, G. et al. Is phosphorus a limiting factor to regulate the growth of phytoplankton in Daya Bay, northern South China Sea: a mesocosm experiment. Ecotoxicology 28, 559–568 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-019-02049-7

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