Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic

Summary: Nutrient availability influences maximum biomass, speciation, cellular composition, and overall phenology of Arctic spring ice algal blooms. However, how ice algae obtain nutrients from their environment is not well understood. Previously documented positive relationships between sea ice nu...

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Main Authors: C.J. Mundy, Eva Leu, Karley Campbell, Virginie Galindo, Maurice Levasseur, Michel Poulin, Jean-Éric Tremblay, Michel Gosselin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:iScience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225014099
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author C.J. Mundy
Eva Leu
Karley Campbell
Virginie Galindo
Maurice Levasseur
Michel Poulin
Jean-Éric Tremblay
Michel Gosselin
author_facet C.J. Mundy
Eva Leu
Karley Campbell
Virginie Galindo
Maurice Levasseur
Michel Poulin
Jean-Éric Tremblay
Michel Gosselin
author_sort C.J. Mundy
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Nutrient availability influences maximum biomass, speciation, cellular composition, and overall phenology of Arctic spring ice algal blooms. However, how ice algae obtain nutrients from their environment is not well understood. Previously documented positive relationships between sea ice nutrient concentrations and algal biomass implied that ice algae maintain an intracellular nutrient pool. Here, we provide direct evidence that sea ice diatoms store intracellular nitrate + nitrite and silicic acid well above that available in their ambient environment. Differential retention of intracellular pools released during standard melt processing techniques led to an increase in the apparent dissolved N:Si ratio measured in ice melt samples that likely influenced interpretations of Si-limitation in some previous studies. It is hypothesized that the ability of ice algae to store intracellular nutrient reserves represents a beneficial adaptation for ice algae to extend blooms under a periodic tidal-pulsed flux of nutrients to the ice bottom environment.
format Article
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issn 2589-0042
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Elsevier
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series iScience
spelling doaj-art-9ca45058b86e4f9b92ffd98873a8578a2025-08-20T03:58:10ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422025-08-0128811314810.1016/j.isci.2025.113148Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high ArcticC.J. Mundy0Eva Leu1Karley Campbell2Virginie Galindo3Maurice Levasseur4Michel Poulin5Jean-Éric Tremblay6Michel Gosselin7Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Corresponding authorAkvaplan-Niva AS, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDirection générale de la conservation de la biodiversité, Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, Quebec city, QC, CanadaQuébec-Océan, Takuvik and Département de biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, CanadaResearch and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON, CanadaQuébec-Océan, Takuvik and Département de biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, CanadaInstitut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, CanadaSummary: Nutrient availability influences maximum biomass, speciation, cellular composition, and overall phenology of Arctic spring ice algal blooms. However, how ice algae obtain nutrients from their environment is not well understood. Previously documented positive relationships between sea ice nutrient concentrations and algal biomass implied that ice algae maintain an intracellular nutrient pool. Here, we provide direct evidence that sea ice diatoms store intracellular nitrate + nitrite and silicic acid well above that available in their ambient environment. Differential retention of intracellular pools released during standard melt processing techniques led to an increase in the apparent dissolved N:Si ratio measured in ice melt samples that likely influenced interpretations of Si-limitation in some previous studies. It is hypothesized that the ability of ice algae to store intracellular nutrient reserves represents a beneficial adaptation for ice algae to extend blooms under a periodic tidal-pulsed flux of nutrients to the ice bottom environment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225014099marine organismmarine processesaquatic scienceaquatic biology
spellingShingle C.J. Mundy
Eva Leu
Karley Campbell
Virginie Galindo
Maurice Levasseur
Michel Poulin
Jean-Éric Tremblay
Michel Gosselin
Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
iScience
marine organism
marine processes
aquatic science
aquatic biology
title Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
title_full Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
title_fullStr Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
title_full_unstemmed Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
title_short Intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the Canadian high Arctic
title_sort intracellular nutrient storage during ice algal spring blooms in the canadian high arctic
topic marine organism
marine processes
aquatic science
aquatic biology
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225014099
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