Balance of nature: importance of ocean ecosystems (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, January 23, 2022, 18:31 (825 days ago) @ David Turell

Shift work creates a balance:

https://phys.org/news/2022-01-shift-marine-microbes-scarce-ocean.html

"Though they may be small, microorganisms are the most abundant form of life in the ocean. Marine microbes are responsible for making roughly half of the organic carbon that's usable by life. Many marine microbes live near the surface, depending on energy from the sun for photosynthesis.

"Yet between the low supply of and high competition for some key nutrients, like nitrogen, in the open ocean, scientists have puzzled over the vast diversity of microbial species found there. Researchers from the University of Washington, in collaboration with researchers from 12 other institutions, show that time of day is key, according to a study published Jan. 20 in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

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"By integrating data on the timing of metabolic processes of different microbes in the surface ocean throughout the 24-hour light cycle—from the transcription of genes for proteins used in metabolism to the synthesis of molecules, like lipids, into the microbes' cells—the researchers discovered that the coexistence of such diverse microbes may not be dictated by competition, but by the timing of their nitrogen uptake.

"With staggered uptake of the essential nutrient nitrogen, "instead of having to compete with the whole field, [microbes] only have to compete with the organisms that share that specific shift with [them]. Perhaps that's one way that the competition is slightly alleviated and can facilitate all of these diverse microbes being able to live off of the same nutrient source," said co-first author Daniel Muratore, a doctoral student at Georgia Tech.

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"The data revealed that most of the activity occurred at four time points: dusk (6 p.m.), night (2 a.m.), morning (6 a.m.) and afternoon (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.). While these times were important for many types of microbes, different groups' activities at each time weren't uniform.

"'Realizing that various types of microbes acquire nitrogen at different times of day helps to answer a long-standing question in oceanography: How can there be such an incredible diversity of life, all essentially in the same place at the same time?" said co-author Anitra Ingalls, a UW professor of oceanography. "Being able to explain the underlying reasons for this diversity will help oceanographers better predict how these communities may shift as the ocean changes.'"

Comment: another ecosystem explained in large part. It points out how important day, night Earth rotation is part of the explanation of why this is designed as a privileged planet.