Significant nutrient consumption in the dark subsurface layer during a diatom bloom: a case study on Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan

[摘要] We conducted repetitive observations in Funka Bay,Hokkaido, Japan, on 15 February, 4 and 15 March, and 14 April 2019. Thediatom spring bloom peaked on 4 March and started declining on 15 March.Funka Bay winter water remained below 30 m depth, which was below thesurface mixed-layer and dark-layer depth (0.1 % of the surface photosynthetically active radiation, PAR, depth) on 4and 15 March. In the subsurface layer at depths of 30–50 m, concentrationsof NO 3 - , PO 4 3 - , and Si(OH) 4 decreased by halfbetween these dates, even in the dark. Incubation experiments using thediatom Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii showed that this diatom could consume added nutrients in the dark atsubstantial rates after pre-culturing to deplete nutrients. Incubationexperiments using natural seawater collected in the growing phase of the bloom on 8 March 2022 also showed that nutrient-depleted phytoplankton could consumeadded nutrients in the dark. We excluded three physicalprocess – water mixing, diffusive transport, and subduction – as possible mainreasons for the decrease in nutrients in the subsurface layer. We concludethat the nutrient reduction in the subsurface layer (30–50 m) between 4 and15 March 2019 could be explained by nutrient consumption by diatoms in the dark in thatlayer.

[学科分类] 大气科学