Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet
Abstract Surface melting supports the development of pigmented algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet, decreasing albedo and further accelerating melting. The interplay between carbon-fixing algae and carbon-respiring heterotrophic microorganisms ultimately controls the amount and composition of or...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92182-7 |
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| author | Pamela E. Rossel Runa Antony Rey Mourot Thorsten Dittmar Alexandre M. Anesio Martyn Tranter Liane G. Benning |
| author_facet | Pamela E. Rossel Runa Antony Rey Mourot Thorsten Dittmar Alexandre M. Anesio Martyn Tranter Liane G. Benning |
| author_sort | Pamela E. Rossel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Surface melting supports the development of pigmented algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet, decreasing albedo and further accelerating melting. The interplay between carbon-fixing algae and carbon-respiring heterotrophic microorganisms ultimately controls the amount and composition of organic matter (OM) and thus the ice and snow color. Yet, the dynamics of microbially-derived OM on the Greenland Ice Sheet remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we incubated in situ algae-dominated snow and ice samples under light and dark conditions and characterized the changes in dissolved and particulate OM (DOM and POM) with the help of ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. We show that glacier ice-algae habitats are dominated by highly unsaturated and aromatic compounds resistant to bio- and photo-degradation. In contrary, snow-algae habitats are enriched in bioavailable and more photosensitive unsaturated aliphatics and sulfur- and phosphorus-containing compounds. In both habitats, light exposure increased water-soluble DOM compounds derived from POM, which accounted for ~ 50–70% of the initial DOM composition. Of the initial DOM, 35–50% were heterotrophically degraded in the dark, while light alone photodegraded 6–16%. The significant accumulation of light-absorbing aromatics from POM and DOM at the end of the ice-algae experiments, underscore the greater impact of glacier ice-algae habitats on altering glacier color and accelerating melting. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9acb0a326a7f42e3b8bd3710d6ba1339 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-9acb0a326a7f42e3b8bd3710d6ba13392025-08-20T03:10:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-92182-7Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheetPamela E. Rossel0Runa Antony1Rey Mourot2Thorsten Dittmar3Alexandre M. Anesio4Martyn Tranter5Liane G. Benning6Interface Geochemistry Section, GFZ Helmoltz Centre for GeosciencesInterface Geochemistry Section, GFZ Helmoltz Centre for GeosciencesInterface Geochemistry Section, GFZ Helmoltz Centre for GeosciencesInstitute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University OldenburgDepartment of Environmental Science, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Environmental Science, Aarhus UniversityInterface Geochemistry Section, GFZ Helmoltz Centre for GeosciencesAbstract Surface melting supports the development of pigmented algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet, decreasing albedo and further accelerating melting. The interplay between carbon-fixing algae and carbon-respiring heterotrophic microorganisms ultimately controls the amount and composition of organic matter (OM) and thus the ice and snow color. Yet, the dynamics of microbially-derived OM on the Greenland Ice Sheet remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we incubated in situ algae-dominated snow and ice samples under light and dark conditions and characterized the changes in dissolved and particulate OM (DOM and POM) with the help of ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. We show that glacier ice-algae habitats are dominated by highly unsaturated and aromatic compounds resistant to bio- and photo-degradation. In contrary, snow-algae habitats are enriched in bioavailable and more photosensitive unsaturated aliphatics and sulfur- and phosphorus-containing compounds. In both habitats, light exposure increased water-soluble DOM compounds derived from POM, which accounted for ~ 50–70% of the initial DOM composition. Of the initial DOM, 35–50% were heterotrophically degraded in the dark, while light alone photodegraded 6–16%. The significant accumulation of light-absorbing aromatics from POM and DOM at the end of the ice-algae experiments, underscore the greater impact of glacier ice-algae habitats on altering glacier color and accelerating melting.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92182-7Snow and glacial ice algal bloomsDissolved and particulate organic matterCarbon dynamicsFourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometryArcticGreenland ice sheet |
| spellingShingle | Pamela E. Rossel Runa Antony Rey Mourot Thorsten Dittmar Alexandre M. Anesio Martyn Tranter Liane G. Benning Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet Scientific Reports Snow and glacial ice algal blooms Dissolved and particulate organic matter Carbon dynamics Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry Arctic Greenland ice sheet |
| title | Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_full | Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_fullStr | Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_short | Dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_sort | dynamics of organic matter in algal blooms on the greenland ice sheet |
| topic | Snow and glacial ice algal blooms Dissolved and particulate organic matter Carbon dynamics Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry Arctic Greenland ice sheet |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92182-7 |
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