Warming accelerates termination of a phytoplankton spring bloom by fungal parasites

Thijs Frenken; M. Velthuis; Lisette De Senerpont Domis; Susanne Stephan; Ralf Cornelis Aben; S. Kosten; E. van Donk; D.B. Van de Waal

doi:10.1111/gcb.13095

Warming accelerates termination of a phytoplankton spring bloom by fungal parasites

Thijs Frenken, M. Velthuis, Lisette De Senerpont Domis, Susanne Stephan, Ralf Cornelis Aben, S. Kosten, E. van Donk, D.B. Van de Waal

NIOO - Aquatic Ecology (AqE)

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

61 Citations (Scopus)

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Climate change is expected to favour infectious diseases across ecosystems worldwide. In freshwater and marine
environments, parasites play a crucial role in controlling plankton population dynamics. Infection of phytoplankton
populations will cause a transfer of carbon and nutrients into parasites, which may change the type of food available
for higher trophic levels. Some phytoplankton species are inedible to zooplankton, and the termination of their population
by parasites may liberate otherwise unavailable carbon and nutrients. Phytoplankton spring blooms often consist
of large diatoms inedible for zooplankton, but the zoospores of their fungal parasites may serve as a food source
for this higher trophic level. Here, we investigated the impact of warming on the fungal infection of a natural phytoplankton
spring bloom and followed the response of a zooplankton community. Experiments were performed in ca.
1000 L indoor mesocosms exposed to a controlled seasonal temperature cycle and a warm (+4 °C) treatment in the
period from March to June 2014. The spring bloom was dominated by the diatom Synedra. At the peak of infection
over 40% of the Synedra population was infected by a fungal parasite (i.e. a chytrid) in both treatments. Warming did
not affect the onset of the Synedra bloom, but accelerated its termination. Peak population density of Synedra tended
to be lower in the warm treatments. Furthermore, Synedra carbon: phosphorus stoichiometry increased during the
bloom, particularly in the control treatments. This indicates enhanced phosphorus limitation in the control treatments,
which may have constrained chytrid development. Timing of the rotifer Keratella advanced in the warm
treatments and closely followed chytrid infections. The chytrids’ zoospores may thus have served as an alternative
food source to Keratella. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of incorporating not only nutrient limitation and
grazing, but also parasitism in understanding the response of plankton communities towards global warming.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	299-309
Journal	Global Change Biology
Volume	22
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13095
Publication status	Published - 2016

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national

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10.1111/gcb.13095

Cite this

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title = "Warming accelerates termination of a phytoplankton spring bloom by fungal parasites",

abstract = "Climate change is expected to favour infectious diseases across ecosystems worldwide. In freshwater and marineenvironments, parasites play a crucial role in controlling plankton population dynamics. Infection of phytoplanktonpopulations will cause a transfer of carbon and nutrients into parasites, which may change the type of food availablefor higher trophic levels. Some phytoplankton species are inedible to zooplankton, and the termination of their populationby parasites may liberate otherwise unavailable carbon and nutrients. Phytoplankton spring blooms often consistof large diatoms inedible for zooplankton, but the zoospores of their fungal parasites may serve as a food sourcefor this higher trophic level. Here, we investigated the impact of warming on the fungal infection of a natural phytoplanktonspring bloom and followed the response of a zooplankton community. Experiments were performed in ca.1000 L indoor mesocosms exposed to a controlled seasonal temperature cycle and a warm (+4 °C) treatment in theperiod from March to June 2014. The spring bloom was dominated by the diatom Synedra. At the peak of infectionover 40% of the Synedra population was infected by a fungal parasite (i.e. a chytrid) in both treatments. Warming didnot affect the onset of the Synedra bloom, but accelerated its termination. Peak population density of Synedra tendedto be lower in the warm treatments. Furthermore, Synedra carbon: phosphorus stoichiometry increased during thebloom, particularly in the control treatments. This indicates enhanced phosphorus limitation in the control treatments,which may have constrained chytrid development. Timing of the rotifer Keratella advanced in the warmtreatments and closely followed chytrid infections. The chytrids{\textquoteright} zoospores may thus have served as an alternativefood source to Keratella. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of incorporating not only nutrient limitation andgrazing, but also parasitism in understanding the response of plankton communities towards global warming.",

keywords = "national",

author = "Thijs Frenken and M. Velthuis and {De Senerpont Domis}, Lisette and Susanne Stephan and Aben, {Ralf Cornelis} and S. Kosten and {van Donk}, E. and {Van de Waal}, D.B.",

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doi = "10.1111/gcb.13095",

language = "English",

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T1 - Warming accelerates termination of a phytoplankton spring bloom by fungal parasites

AU - Frenken, Thijs

AU - Velthuis, M.

AU - De Senerpont Domis, Lisette

AU - Stephan, Susanne

AU - Aben, Ralf Cornelis

AU - Kosten, S.

AU - van Donk, E.

AU - Van de Waal, D.B.

N1 - 5930, AqE; Data archiving: data archived at MDA

PY - 2016

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N2 - Climate change is expected to favour infectious diseases across ecosystems worldwide. In freshwater and marineenvironments, parasites play a crucial role in controlling plankton population dynamics. Infection of phytoplanktonpopulations will cause a transfer of carbon and nutrients into parasites, which may change the type of food availablefor higher trophic levels. Some phytoplankton species are inedible to zooplankton, and the termination of their populationby parasites may liberate otherwise unavailable carbon and nutrients. Phytoplankton spring blooms often consistof large diatoms inedible for zooplankton, but the zoospores of their fungal parasites may serve as a food sourcefor this higher trophic level. Here, we investigated the impact of warming on the fungal infection of a natural phytoplanktonspring bloom and followed the response of a zooplankton community. Experiments were performed in ca.1000 L indoor mesocosms exposed to a controlled seasonal temperature cycle and a warm (+4 °C) treatment in theperiod from March to June 2014. The spring bloom was dominated by the diatom Synedra. At the peak of infectionover 40% of the Synedra population was infected by a fungal parasite (i.e. a chytrid) in both treatments. Warming didnot affect the onset of the Synedra bloom, but accelerated its termination. Peak population density of Synedra tendedto be lower in the warm treatments. Furthermore, Synedra carbon: phosphorus stoichiometry increased during thebloom, particularly in the control treatments. This indicates enhanced phosphorus limitation in the control treatments,which may have constrained chytrid development. Timing of the rotifer Keratella advanced in the warmtreatments and closely followed chytrid infections. The chytrids’ zoospores may thus have served as an alternativefood source to Keratella. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of incorporating not only nutrient limitation andgrazing, but also parasitism in understanding the response of plankton communities towards global warming.

AB - Climate change is expected to favour infectious diseases across ecosystems worldwide. In freshwater and marineenvironments, parasites play a crucial role in controlling plankton population dynamics. Infection of phytoplanktonpopulations will cause a transfer of carbon and nutrients into parasites, which may change the type of food availablefor higher trophic levels. Some phytoplankton species are inedible to zooplankton, and the termination of their populationby parasites may liberate otherwise unavailable carbon and nutrients. Phytoplankton spring blooms often consistof large diatoms inedible for zooplankton, but the zoospores of their fungal parasites may serve as a food sourcefor this higher trophic level. Here, we investigated the impact of warming on the fungal infection of a natural phytoplanktonspring bloom and followed the response of a zooplankton community. Experiments were performed in ca.1000 L indoor mesocosms exposed to a controlled seasonal temperature cycle and a warm (+4 °C) treatment in theperiod from March to June 2014. The spring bloom was dominated by the diatom Synedra. At the peak of infectionover 40% of the Synedra population was infected by a fungal parasite (i.e. a chytrid) in both treatments. Warming didnot affect the onset of the Synedra bloom, but accelerated its termination. Peak population density of Synedra tendedto be lower in the warm treatments. Furthermore, Synedra carbon: phosphorus stoichiometry increased during thebloom, particularly in the control treatments. This indicates enhanced phosphorus limitation in the control treatments,which may have constrained chytrid development. Timing of the rotifer Keratella advanced in the warmtreatments and closely followed chytrid infections. The chytrids’ zoospores may thus have served as an alternativefood source to Keratella. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of incorporating not only nutrient limitation andgrazing, but also parasitism in understanding the response of plankton communities towards global warming.

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DO - 10.1111/gcb.13095

M3 - Article

SN - 1354-1013

VL - 22

SP - 299

EP - 309

JO - Global Change Biology

JF - Global Change Biology

IS - 1

ER -

Warming accelerates termination of a phytoplankton spring bloom by fungal parasites

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