Anthropogenic salinization resulting from road salt application can degrade aquatic environments by altering the structure and function of phytoplankton communities, ultimately reducing flows of resources through aquatic food webs. However, physiological mechanisms underlying taxon‐specific responses to salinization are often poorly linked to higher‐order ecosystem dynamics, limiting our ability to

Assessments of lake gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R) and their balance (net ecosystem production, NEP) have been limited to specific watersheds and a limited number of lakes, often along narrow environmental gradients. This is because conventional approaches require either lengthy incubations or the deployment of monitoring equipment, none of which are feasible for large‐scale studies

High‐quality, yet less abundant, food sources sustain river food webs. However, the impacts of dams on these sources and their nutritional contributions to aquatic animals are not well understood. A substantial knowledge gap exists in understanding the quantitative contribution of basal food sources, such as periphyton, to aquatic animal diets and their role in supporting aquatic animals. This study

In the marine environment, the prevailing paradigm is that larger organisms like diatoms are primary contributors to phytoplankton stoichiometry. Numerous studies investigated the stoichiometry of phytoplankton groups or total community but its dynamics among different size‐groups are not resolved. In exploring the influence of phytoplankton community composition and succession on seasonal stoichiometry

The increasing eutrophication of coastal seas is causing a shift in the most important phytoplankton groups from diatoms to dinoflagellates, but its feedback to marine carbon cycling remains unclear. Here, we investigated the potential of the key coastal phytoplankton, the diatom Skeletonema costatum, and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense, for refractory dissolved organic carbon (DOC) accumulation

Suspended particulate matter, or seston, represents an understudied flux of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in river networks. Here, we summarize riverine seston C : N : P stoichiometry data from 27 streams and rivers sampled regularly from 2014 to 2022 across the United States by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). We examine relationships among seston C, N, and P content

Microbial processes regulating carbon cycling in ancient oceans remain poorly understood, yet characterizing these processes is critical for understanding early Earth biogeochemistry. Here, we investigate microbial communities associated with sinking particles regulating carbon cycling in meromictic Fayetteville Green Lake, a mid‐Proterozoic marginal ocean analog. The lake's photic zone spans oxic

Drought and human land use have increased dust emissions in the western United States. However, the ecological sensitivity of remote lakes to dust deposition is not well understood and to date has largely been assessed through spatial and temporal correlations. Using in situ bioassays, we investigated the effects of dust enrichment on the production, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, and taxonomic

Coastal areas are an important source of food and a valuable tourism asset for communities, but also highly dynamic and heterogeneous environments. Understanding how marine species respond to the variability of their habitat is essential to sustainably manage coastal resources. Here we investigate the distribution of highly mobile marine species in relation to fine‐scale fronts (< 10 km) in North‐East

In the context of global change, marine organisms are subjected not only to gradual changes in abiotic parameters, but also to an increasing number of extreme events, such as heatwaves. However, we still know little about the influence of heatwaves on the structure of marine communities, and experimental studies are needed to test the impact of heatwaves alone and in combination with other environmental

Climate‐driven warming is projected to intensify wildfires, increasing their frequency and severity globally. Wildfires are an increasingly significant source of atmospheric deposition, delivering nutrients, organic matter, and trace metals to coastal and open ocean waters. These inputs have the potential to fertilize or inhibit microbial growth, yet their ecological impacts remain poorly understood

The North American Atlantic Coastal Ocean Margin (NAACOM) was recognized as an atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) sink, with large uncertainties in its northern areas due to complex dynamics in controlling the spatiotemporal variability of surface partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and limited pCO2 observations. Here, we used a regional reconstructed product to investigate the spatial and seasonal variability

Purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) of the family Chromatiaceae (Gammaproteobacteria) can perform chemo‐ and photo‐lithoautotrophy (through anoxygenic photosynthesis) in anoxic layers of freshwater stratified (including meromictic) lakes. This group has been extensively studied via physiological and ecological approaches, albeit their genomics has lagged behind. Here, we monitored a small, shallow, karstic

RETRACTION: S.D. Rokitta , C.H. Grossmann , E. Werner , J. Moye , G. Castellani , E.M. Nöthig , and B. Rost , “,” Limnology and Oceanography 68, no. (2023): 2789–2799, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12460.The above article, published online on 29 November 2023 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors; the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, K. David Hambright;

Ice‐covered lakes differ strongly from their ice‐free counterparts in their temperatures, heat budgets, and hydrodynamics. Nevertheless, due to a lack of detailed measurements, processes under the ice and their drivers are still understudied. Here we present a multiyear study of five arctic lakes ranging from 1 to 150 ha focusing on temperature and thermal stratification during ~ 200 d of ice cover

Blue carbon ecosystems such as seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and salt marshes are important carbon sinks that can store carbon for millennia. Recently, organic matter sulfurization and pyritization have been proposed as mechanisms of net carbon storage in blue carbon ecosystems. At our study site, organic sulfur that is resistant to acid hydrolysis (protokerogen) is an order of magnitude less

Seagrasses thrive in shallow lagoons between land and fringing coral reefs, serving as a buffer that mitigates the propagation of environmental stressors from land to reefs. However, mass grazing by megaherbivores poses a significant threat to seagrass loss, impacting the sustainability of tropical coastal habitats. Despite the urgency of this issue, few studies have investigated the possible consequences

Zooplankton play a pivotal role in the marine biological pump, and vertical variations in their functional trait composition and functional diversity can affect the export of organic carbon. However, our comprehension of the vertical variations in functional traits and functional diversity of zooplankton in the northwestern Pacific is insufficient. This study examined the vertical distributions in

Heterotrophic feeding on plankton and particulate organic matter (POM) by tropical Scleractinian corals is known to aid in the resistance and recovery from thermally induced bleaching. However, the relative importance of heterotrophy in promoting bleaching resistance and recovery is likely to vary based on ecological context and the severity of heat stress. In 2019, the Pacific Island of Mo'orea experienced

The outwelling of remineralized dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the subsurface soil layer through tidal pumping has recently been noted for its importance in the blue carbon budget of mangroves. However, the age of soil organic carbon (SOC) that has been decomposed into DIC remains uncertain. In this study, two distinct models (a two endmembers model and three endmembers model) were utilized

Rising temperatures and altered nutrient supply are expected to influence future phytoplankton thermal performance and community dynamics. The thermal response of phytoplankton has been shown to be influenced by nutrient availability, but information is still limited, particularly for the coastal Southern Ocean. Additionally, environmental interactions are often tested with single species but rarely

Salt marshes provide vital ecosystem services, including coastal protection and carbon sequestration. Roots play a key role in delivering these ecosystem services, as they stabilize soils and contribute to organic carbon accumulation. This study examines the impact of an experimental 3°C temperature increase in a temperate salt marsh on belowground biomass dynamics across three elevation zones (pioneer

Islands in the tropical Pacific supply elevated nutrients to nearshore waters that enhance phytoplankton biomass and create hotspots of productivity in otherwise nutrient‐poor oceans. Despite the importance of these hotspots in supporting nearshore food webs, the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton enhancement and changes in the underlying phytoplankton communities across nearshore to

Winter phytoplankton blooms have been documented in several temperate lakes, yet the mechanisms triggering them remain poorly understood. Understanding the ecology of these blooms is key for predicting succession patterns, especially given the impact of climate change on winter conditions. To elucidate the relationships between exponential algal growth, abiotic conditions, and vertical nutrient transport

The absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide is causing significant changes to the carbonate chemistry of the ocean, in a phenomenon called ocean acidification. The latter makes it potentially more difficult for marine calcifiers like corals, to build their calcium carbonate structures, thus affecting their ability to survive and reproduce. Research on how ocean acidification impacts coral sexual reproduction

Aragonite undersaturation ( 1) events are projected to rapidly increase in frequency and duration in the Antarctic Weddell Sea by 2050. Thecosome pteropods (pelagic snails) are bioindicators of ocean acidification (OA) because their aragonite shell dissolves easily at low saturation states. Here, we describe the shell dissolution state of the pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica in relation to the

An increasing number of studies have documented the ecological importance of phago‐mixotrophy within phytoplankton communities, especially in open ocean environments. We know less about the distribution and function of such phytoplankton within marginal seas. This study was an investigation of phago‐mixotrophy among nanoeukaryotic phytoplankton along a shelf‐to‐off‐shelf transect in the South China

Diel vertical migrations (DVM) of zooplankton play a crucial role in transferring organic matter efficiently to the deep ocean. However, the spatial regulatory determinants of DVM strength, including migrant biomass and migration amplitude, remain understudied. We conducted 34 stratified trawls and 85 Underwater Vision Profiler 5 casts across latitudes 12.5°N to 41.5°N in the western North Pacific

Copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) are vital micronutrients that influence diatom physiology, growth rate, and nutrient stoichiometry. This study examines the interactive effects of Cu and Fe on two Southern Ocean diatoms, Proboscia inermis and Chaetoceros flexuosus, cultured under varying Fe and Cu conditions. Results show that Cu and Fe interactions lead to an overall decline in growth rates with decreasing

Nutrient dynamics in headwater streams are governed by benthic and hyporheic biofilms, with carbon (C) : nitrogen (N) : phosphorus (P) ratios driving the heterotrophic microbial biofilm development through nutrient limitation. Furthermore, heterotrophic responses to changes in C : N : P ratios are probably modulated by autotrophic responses to light and C : N : P ratios, which modify the amount and

Microbes in the sea surface microlayer (SML) are key to connecting the ocean and the atmosphere, affecting the exchange of matter, momentum, and heat at the interface. However, their sources have never been quantified systematically. Seawater has long been deemed their major source, whereas atmospheric deposition is regarded as trivial or merely providing additional nutrients. Here, combining atmospheric

Present study is the first quantitative and coherent presentation of the submerged marine vegetation along the Greenland east coast, from 65.5°N to 76.8°N, based on data obtained from 286 underwater video transects. Based on cluster analysis, four different marine submerged vegetation community figurations were identified: a southern and deeper kelp forest including Laminaria solidungula and Agarum

Recent studies have highlighted salt marshes as hotspots for alkalinity generation and export to coastal waters. Several studies emphasize the critical role of anaerobic microbial metabolism as a major source of total alkalinity (TA) generation in marsh soils. However, the contribution of mineral dissolution to salt marsh TA generation has yet to be extensively studied from a mechanistic viewpoint

Tropical lakes experience less thermal convection than temperate lakes and can be stably stratified by temperature gradients alone. Deep tropical lakes are often presumed meromictic, but conditions for sustained meromixis are poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the stratification stability of a deep (200 m) tropical Lake Towuti (Indonesia) and analyze its sensitivity to meteorological and climatic

The transport of particulate organic carbon (POC) from land to deep‐sea sediments is a critical component of the global carbon cycle. However, the transport processes of terrestrial POC across continental shelves remain poorly understood due to the complexity of these systems. In this study, we investigated the vertical fluxes and fates of terrestrial vs. marine POC using stable carbon isotope ratios

Inland waters emit a globally significant amount of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. Measurements of potential CH4 production rates in the sediment can help constrain the magnitude of CH4 sources and time‐averaged emission rates. We explored the magnitude, variability, and drivers of potential CH4 production rates in the sediment, based on compiled measurements (238 sediment cores from 72 aquatic

Periphyton plays an important functional role in shallow lakes and is sensitive to variation in nutrient availability and global warming. Understanding the responses of periphyton to changes in nutrient availability in contrasting warming scenarios can contribute to the development of more efficient techniques for the restoration of lakes in a future warmer world. We analyzed the periphyton response

Viral lysis accounts for approximately 50% of prokaryotic mortality, significantly influencing the diversity, composition, and succession of prokaryotic communities. Despite its importance, the specific influence of viral lysis on seasonal dynamics within aquatic ecosystems remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the seasonal dynamics of prokaryotes in the river–estuary–coastal ecosystem

Terrestrial run‐off is increasing in temperate lakes due to climate change and can lead to loading of colored dissolved organic matter (cDOM) and nutrients, thus reducing light availability and increasing carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Run‐off events are highly irregular, resulting in temporal resource variability that may determine the energy flow in planktonic communities. To understand the effects

Dinitrogen (N2)‐fixing microorganisms play a crucial role in supplying nitrogen (N) to the oceans by converting atmospheric N2 into bioavailable N. N2 fixation was thought to be limited to warm oligotrophic ocean waters, but the association between the N2‐fixing UCYN‐A cyanobacterium and specific haptophytes, including Braarudosphaera bigelowii and relatives, has been found in diverse ocean environments

Diatom‐dominated blooms in coastal upwelling systems contribute disproportionately to global primary production. The fate of carbon captured during a diatom bloom is often influenced by species‐specific ecological differences. However, successional patterns that take place during a diatom bloom are often oversimplified, and the diversity of diatom adaptations to different stages of a bloom remains

Corals with high trophic plasticity, i.e., the ability to change the relative contribution of heterotrophic and autotrophic nutrition to their mixotrophic diet, can have increased tolerance to individual stressors, but it is poorly understood how trophic strategies shift in response to combined global (e.g., warming, acidification) and local stressors (e.g., nutrient input). Furthermore, it remains

Phytoplankton often rely on the regeneration of ammonium () to produce biomass and, for some cyanobacteria, nitrogen‐rich toxins, despite low or unmeasurable concentrations in water. Thus, measuring turnover rates (i.e., uptake and regeneration) is necessary to determine its actual availability. The objectives of this study were to quantify water column turnover rates in two large, shallow, eutrophic

Spatial environmental heterogeneity is an important driver of aquatic biodiversity. Ecological and evolutionary theory often consider spatial heterogeneity as being driven by exogenous factors, yet heterogeneity can also be generated and modified by organisms. Here we used a mesocosm experiment to investigate if consumers influence the build‐up of spatial heterogeneity. We expected that consumer effects

The introduction and extirpation of predators can have large impacts on food web structure and ecosystem function. The magnitude of these predator effects can be influenced by species diversity and turnover along environmental gradients in space or time, which have the potential to buffer or magnify the impact of trophic interactions on ecosystem functioning. In this study, we explored the individual

The maintenance of soil surface elevation in mangroves supports the persistence of mangroves with sea level rise. The processes contributing to soil surface elevation have rarely been assessed in the humid tropics, despite most mangroves occurring in river deltas and tidal estuaries within this climate zone. Using surface elevation table (SET) with marker horizon methods over sites that occurred on