Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean

Abstract Diatoms constitute one of the most diverse and ecologically important phytoplankton groups, yet their large-scale diversity patterns and drivers of abundance are unclear due to limited observations. Here, we utilize Tara Oceans molecular and morphological data, spanning pole to pole, to des...

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Main Authors: Juan J. Pierella Karlusich, Karen Cosnier, Lucie Zinger, Nicolas Henry, Charlotte Nef, Guillaume Bernard, Eleonora Scalco, Etienne Dvorak, Tara Oceans Coordinators, Fabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira, Erwan Delage, Samuel Chaffron, Sergey Ovchinnikov, Adriana Zingone, Chris Bowler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58027-7
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author Juan J. Pierella Karlusich
Karen Cosnier
Lucie Zinger
Nicolas Henry
Charlotte Nef
Guillaume Bernard
Eleonora Scalco
Etienne Dvorak
Tara Oceans Coordinators
Fabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira
Erwan Delage
Samuel Chaffron
Sergey Ovchinnikov
Adriana Zingone
Chris Bowler
author_facet Juan J. Pierella Karlusich
Karen Cosnier
Lucie Zinger
Nicolas Henry
Charlotte Nef
Guillaume Bernard
Eleonora Scalco
Etienne Dvorak
Tara Oceans Coordinators
Fabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira
Erwan Delage
Samuel Chaffron
Sergey Ovchinnikov
Adriana Zingone
Chris Bowler
author_sort Juan J. Pierella Karlusich
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Diatoms constitute one of the most diverse and ecologically important phytoplankton groups, yet their large-scale diversity patterns and drivers of abundance are unclear due to limited observations. Here, we utilize Tara Oceans molecular and morphological data, spanning pole to pole, to describe marine diatom diversity, abundance, and environmental adaptation and acclimation strategies. The dominance of diatoms among phytoplankton in terms of relative abundance and diversity is confirmed, and the most prevalent genera are Chaetoceros, Thalassiosira, Actinocyclus and Pseudo-nitzschia. We define 25 distinct diatom communities with varying environmental preferences illustrative of different life strategies. The Arctic Ocean stands out as a diatom hotspot with 6 of the diatom communities being exclusive to it. Light harvesting and photoprotection are among the cellular functions in which natural diatom populations invest the bulk of their transcriptional efforts. This comprehensive study sheds light on marine diatom distributions, offering insights to assess impacts of global change and oceanic anthropogenic impacts.
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spelling doaj-art-ddb86c504aa84221b91b4df834254c982025-08-20T03:09:19ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116112110.1038/s41467-025-58027-7Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global oceanJuan J. Pierella Karlusich0Karen Cosnier1Lucie Zinger2Nicolas Henry3Charlotte Nef4Guillaume Bernard5Eleonora Scalco6Etienne Dvorak7Tara Oceans CoordinatorsFabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira8Erwan Delage9Samuel Chaffron10Sergey Ovchinnikov11Adriana Zingone12Chris Bowler13Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLCNRS Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEEInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa ComunaleInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLNantes Université, CNRS UMR 6004, LS2NCNRS Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEEDepartment of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa ComunaleInstitut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSLAbstract Diatoms constitute one of the most diverse and ecologically important phytoplankton groups, yet their large-scale diversity patterns and drivers of abundance are unclear due to limited observations. Here, we utilize Tara Oceans molecular and morphological data, spanning pole to pole, to describe marine diatom diversity, abundance, and environmental adaptation and acclimation strategies. The dominance of diatoms among phytoplankton in terms of relative abundance and diversity is confirmed, and the most prevalent genera are Chaetoceros, Thalassiosira, Actinocyclus and Pseudo-nitzschia. We define 25 distinct diatom communities with varying environmental preferences illustrative of different life strategies. The Arctic Ocean stands out as a diatom hotspot with 6 of the diatom communities being exclusive to it. Light harvesting and photoprotection are among the cellular functions in which natural diatom populations invest the bulk of their transcriptional efforts. This comprehensive study sheds light on marine diatom distributions, offering insights to assess impacts of global change and oceanic anthropogenic impacts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58027-7
spellingShingle Juan J. Pierella Karlusich
Karen Cosnier
Lucie Zinger
Nicolas Henry
Charlotte Nef
Guillaume Bernard
Eleonora Scalco
Etienne Dvorak
Tara Oceans Coordinators
Fabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira
Erwan Delage
Samuel Chaffron
Sergey Ovchinnikov
Adriana Zingone
Chris Bowler
Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
Nature Communications
title Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
title_full Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
title_fullStr Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
title_full_unstemmed Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
title_short Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
title_sort patterns and drivers of diatom diversity and abundance in the global ocean
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58027-7
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