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Phytoplankton physiology and export flux
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Phytoplankton physiology and export flux
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Kahl
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Leonard Alexander
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Leonard Alexander Kahl, Jr.
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author
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Schofield
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Oscar
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Advisory Committee
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Oscar Schofield
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chair
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Robert
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Robert Chant
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internal member
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Falkowski
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Paul
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Advisory Committee
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Paul G. Falkowski
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internal member
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Ludescher
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Richard
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Advisory Committee
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Richard D. Ludescher
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internal member
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Dam
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Hans
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Advisory Committee
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Hans G. Dam
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outside member
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Finkel
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Zoe
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Advisory Committee
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Zoe V. Finkel
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Rutgers University
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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theses
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2008
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2008-10
Language
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English
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electronic
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xi, 128 pages
Abstract
The oceanic biological pump represents one of the Earth's major carbon sinks for atmospheric CO2 and is primarily driven by the flocculation in, and subsequent sedimentation of phytoplankton from the sea surface. Sticking efficiency, crucial to flocculation processes, was estimated within a laboratory mesocosm mimicking energy levels in the ocean on a calm day. The sticking efficiency of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana varied as a result of physiological state. During the periods of high sticking efficiency, physiological changes included: (1) diminished phytoplankton photosynthetic quantum efficiency, (2) an increase in super-oxide dismutase protein expression, reflecting oxidative stress, and (3) the induction of a biochemical cascade initiating autocatalytic programmed cell death. Additionally, during the period of high physiological stress on the diatoms, there was an increase in the presence of both bacteria and extracellular organic matter. Further study found that as the organic matter exuded by phytoplankton degraded, via breaking of beta-glycoside linkages between polysaccharide monomers, it is transformed from discrete gel-like structures into a net-like matrix. This transition towards a more net-like organic matrix increases the probability of the formation of more rapidly settling marine aggregates. These results were then applied to a 1-D export flux model which showed the dependence of export flux dynamics on organic matter exuded by phytoplankton. These simulations revealed that a low initial sticking efficiency allows a significant increase in the critical concentration of algal cells. Such an increase in the number of cells during bloom initiation, when followed by an increase in sticking efficiency during the maintenance and senescent phases, resulted in enhanced and pulse-like carbon export events. Organic matter exuded by phytoplankton also increases seawater viscosity resulting in a 7-25% decrease in export flux. This decrease in export flux results from a convergence of settling speeds between large and small particles as viscosity increases, reducing coagulation due to differential settling. Furthermore, coupling a 1-D export model with a mechanistic model of phytoplankton physiology and cellular exudation, driven by typical oceanic light and nutrient regimes, showed that cell size provides considerable control over the mechanisms controlling the flux of particulate carbon from the sea surface.
Note
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Ph.D.
Note
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-127).
Subject
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Topic
Oceanography
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Topic
Phytoplankton--Physiology
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Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.17511
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ETD_1311
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doi:10.7282/T3P84C78
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ETD doctoral
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Rights
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Copyright protected
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Open
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Leonard Kahl
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Affiliation
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Non-exclusive ETD license
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Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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