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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-871
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-871
13 Mar 2025
 | 13 Mar 2025

Phytoplankton community succession and biogeochemistry in a bloom simulation experiment at an estuary-ocean interface

Jenna Alyson Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward

Abstract. Phytoplankton blooms, especially diatom blooms, account for a large fraction of marine carbon fixation. Species succession and biogeochemical parameters change rapidly over a bloom, and determine the resulting biological productivity. This study implemented daily sampling of a 24–L microcosm bloom simulation experiment to assess changes in assemblage and biogeochemical processes while excluding changes due to advection. 15NO3- and H13CO3- tracer incubations were performed alongside pigment and DNA sampling to compare temporal trends in community composition and primary productivity (nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) transport rates). Rapid drawdown of nutrients and maximum C and N transport rates corresponded with peak chlorophyll–a and fucoxanthin pigment concentrations. Fucoxanthin, typically associated with diatoms, was the dominant diagnostic pigment, with very low peridinin (dinoflagellate) and zeaxanthin (cyanobacteria) concentrations, indicating a diatom bloom. 18S rRNA gene analysis showed clear community succession throughout the duration of the bloom and multiple species of diatoms co–occurred, including during the bloom peak. The presence of metazoan 18S, high carbon–to–chlorophyll ratios, and a model analysis provide evidence of grazing in the latter half of the bloom. A traditional bloom framework suggests that species succession occurs as the bloom progresses and that phytoplankton diversity reaches a minimum of just one or two dominant species when phytoplankton productivity is at its maximum. However, this study produced a negatively monotonic productivity–diversity relationship with relatively high minimum diversity values. This 18S–based analysis therefore presents a more complex relationship between bloom progression and phytoplankton diversity.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

17 Sep 2025
Phytoplankton community succession and biogeochemistry in a bloom simulation experiment at an estuary–ocean interface
Jenna A. Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward
Biogeosciences, 22, 4743–4761, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4743-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4743-2025, 2025
Short summary
Jenna Alyson Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-871', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Apr 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Jenna Alyson Lee, 03 Jun 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-871', Anonymous Referee #2, 07 May 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Jenna Alyson Lee, 03 Jun 2025

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-871', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Apr 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Jenna Alyson Lee, 03 Jun 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-871', Anonymous Referee #2, 07 May 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Jenna Alyson Lee, 03 Jun 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (04 Jun 2025) by Emilio Marañón
AR by Jenna Alyson Lee on behalf of the Authors (17 Jun 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (18 Jun 2025) by Emilio Marañón
AR by Jenna Alyson Lee on behalf of the Authors (30 Jun 2025)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

17 Sep 2025
Phytoplankton community succession and biogeochemistry in a bloom simulation experiment at an estuary–ocean interface
Jenna A. Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward
Biogeosciences, 22, 4743–4761, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4743-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4743-2025, 2025
Short summary
Jenna Alyson Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward
Jenna Alyson Lee, Joseph H. Vineis, Mathieu A. Poupon, Laure Resplandy, and Bess B. Ward

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Concurrent sampling of environmental parameters, productivity rates, photopigments, and DNA were used to analyze a 24–L estuarine diatom bloom microcosm. Biogeochemical data and an ecological model indicated that the bloom was terminated by grazing. Comparisons to previous studies revealed (1) additional community and diversity complexity using 18S amplicon vs. traditional pigment–based analyses, and (2) a potential global productivity–diversity relationship using 18S and carbon transport rates.
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