Nutrient uptake plasticity in phytoplankton sustains future ocean net primary production

Eun Young Kwon; M. G. Sreeush; Axel Timmermann; David M. Karl; Matthew J. Church; Sun Seon Lee; Ryohei Yamaguchi

doi:10.1126/sciadv.add2475

Nutrient uptake plasticity in phytoplankton sustains future ocean net primary production

Eun Young Kwon, M. G. Sreeush, Axel Timmermann, David M. Karl, Matthew J. Church, Sun Seon Lee, Ryohei Yamaguchi

Flathead Lake Biological Station

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Annually, marine phytoplankton convert approximately 50 billion tons of dissolved inorganic carbon to particulate and dissolved organic carbon, a portion of which is exported to depth via the biological carbon pump. Despite its important roles in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide via carbon sequestration and in sustaining marine ecosystems, model-projected future changes in marine net primary production are highly uncertain even in the sign of the change. Here, using an Earth system model, we show that frugal utilization of phosphorus by phytoplankton under phosphate-stressed conditions can overcompensate the previously projected 21st century declines due to ocean warming and enhanced stratification. Our results, which are supported by observations from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program, suggest that nutrient uptake plasticity in the subtropical ocean plays a key role in sustaining phytoplankton productivity and carbon export production in a warmer world.

Original language	English
Article number	eadd2475
Journal	Science advances
Volume	8
Issue number	51
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.add2475
State	Published - Dec 2022

Funding

We thank scientists who have been involved in development of CESM and MARBL. We also thank scientists who have contributed to the HOT and BATS databases. We are grateful for continuous discussions with K. Rodgers and a discussion with D. Bianchi, which have helped us improve this manuscript. The CESM2 simulations were conducted on the ICCP/ IBS supercomputer Aleph, a Cray XC50-LC system. Funding: This study is supported by Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R028-D1). E.Y.K. also acknowledges funding from Korean National Research Foundation (NRF-2016R1D1A1B04931356). D.M.K. acknowledges funding from Simons Foundation (#721252) and National Science Foundation (NSF-OCE-1756517). M.J.C. acknowledges funding from Simons Foundation (#721221).

Funders	Funder number
721221, NSF-OCE-1756517
Simons Foundation	721252
NRF-2016R1D1A1B04931356
Institute for Basic Science	IBS-R028-D1

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Nutrient uptake plasticity in phytoplankton sustains future ocean net primary production",

abstract = "Annually, marine phytoplankton convert approximately 50 billion tons of dissolved inorganic carbon to particulate and dissolved organic carbon, a portion of which is exported to depth via the biological carbon pump. Despite its important roles in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide via carbon sequestration and in sustaining marine ecosystems, model-projected future changes in marine net primary production are highly uncertain even in the sign of the change. Here, using an Earth system model, we show that frugal utilization of phosphorus by phytoplankton under phosphate-stressed conditions can overcompensate the previously projected 21st century declines due to ocean warming and enhanced stratification. Our results, which are supported by observations from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program, suggest that nutrient uptake plasticity in the subtropical ocean plays a key role in sustaining phytoplankton productivity and carbon export production in a warmer world.",

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doi = "10.1126/sciadv.add2475",

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AU - Kwon, Eun Young

AU - Sreeush, M. G.

AU - Timmermann, Axel

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AU - Church, Matthew J.

AU - Lee, Sun Seon

AU - Yamaguchi, Ryohei

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Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Annually, marine phytoplankton convert approximately 50 billion tons of dissolved inorganic carbon to particulate and dissolved organic carbon, a portion of which is exported to depth via the biological carbon pump. Despite its important roles in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide via carbon sequestration and in sustaining marine ecosystems, model-projected future changes in marine net primary production are highly uncertain even in the sign of the change. Here, using an Earth system model, we show that frugal utilization of phosphorus by phytoplankton under phosphate-stressed conditions can overcompensate the previously projected 21st century declines due to ocean warming and enhanced stratification. Our results, which are supported by observations from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program, suggest that nutrient uptake plasticity in the subtropical ocean plays a key role in sustaining phytoplankton productivity and carbon export production in a warmer world.

AB - Annually, marine phytoplankton convert approximately 50 billion tons of dissolved inorganic carbon to particulate and dissolved organic carbon, a portion of which is exported to depth via the biological carbon pump. Despite its important roles in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide via carbon sequestration and in sustaining marine ecosystems, model-projected future changes in marine net primary production are highly uncertain even in the sign of the change. Here, using an Earth system model, we show that frugal utilization of phosphorus by phytoplankton under phosphate-stressed conditions can overcompensate the previously projected 21st century declines due to ocean warming and enhanced stratification. Our results, which are supported by observations from the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program, suggest that nutrient uptake plasticity in the subtropical ocean plays a key role in sustaining phytoplankton productivity and carbon export production in a warmer world.

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JO - Science advances

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Nutrient uptake plasticity in phytoplankton sustains future ocean net primary production

Abstract

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UN SDGs

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