Abundance and distribution of major groups of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and their potential contribution to N₂ fixation in the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

The abundances of six N₂-fixing cyanobacterial phylotypes were profiled at 22 stations across the tropical Atlantic Ocean during June 2006, and used to model the contribution of the diazotrophs to N₂ fixation. Diazotroph abundances were measured by targeting the nifH gene of Trichodesmium, unicellular groups A, B, C (UCYN-A, UCYN-B and UCYN-C), and diatom-cyanobiont symbioses Hemiaulus-Richelia, Rhizosolenia-Richelia and Chaetoceros-Calothrix. West to east gradients in temperature, salinity and nutrients [NO₃⁻ + NO₂⁻, PO₄³⁻, Si(OH)₄] showed the influence of the Amazon River plume and its effect on the distributions of the diazotrophs. Trichodesmium accounted for more than 93% of all nifH genes detected, dominated the warmer waters of the western Atlantic, and was the only diazotroph detected at the equatorial upwelling station. UCYN-A was the next most abundant (> 5% of all nifH genes) and dominated the cooler waters of the eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands. UCYN-C was found at a single depth (200 m) of high salinity and low temperature and nutrients, whereas UCYN-B cells were widespread but in very low abundance (6.1 × 10¹ ± 4.6 × 10² gene copies l⁻¹). The diatom-cyanobionts were observed primarily in the western Atlantic within or near the high Si(OH)₄ input of the Amazon River plume. Overall, highest diazotroph abundances were observed at the surface and declined with depth, except for some subsurface peaks in Trichodesmium, UCYN-B and UCYN-A. Modelled contributions of Trichodesmium, UCYN-B and UCYN-A to total N₂ fixation suggested that Trichodesmium had the largest input, except for the potential of UCYN-A at the Cape Verde Islands.