Naslov
How do open coastal fire episodes' impact sea surface microlayer neuston communities?

Autori
Vrdoljak Tomaš, A ; Šantić, D ; Šolić, M ; Skejić, S ; Milinković, A ; Cvitešić Kušan, A ; Gašparović, B ; Šestanović, S ; Frka., S

Izvornik
Science of the total environment (0048-9697) 861 (2023); 160593, 10

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Biomass burning Neuston Picoplankton Phytoplankton Sea surface microlayer Adriatic Sea

Sažetak
Human-induced climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of vegetation fires. The Mediterranean region is considered particularly prone to fire episodes in summer. It is well knownthat pyrogenic particles are an important source of external nutrients for the marine environment, especially in oligotrophic areas. In this study, the plankton components of the sea surface layers were integrated to evaluate, for the first time, their dynamics over six months and their response to fire events in a typical coastal area of the Adriatic Sea. Concentrations of nutrients and organic compounds, together with plankton communities were significantly higher in the sea surface microlayer (SML, < 1 mm thick), than in the underlying water from 1 m depth. The piconeuston community and chlorophyll a responded with extreme abundance and concentration to the most intense fire event that enriched the SML with NH4 +. Phytoneuston abundance increased with a delay of 2 weeks, while diversity indices decreased slightly after the fire events. The large abundances of the studied piconeuston parameters could be explained by the high availability of organic compounds and the immediate availability of NH4 +, while the phytoneuston community responded to an increased NO3 ‐ concentration, triggered by the fire events. We confirmed that fast-acting marine heterotrophs are important members of biogeochemical cycles associated with fire events and that, together with phytoplankton, they are unavoidable parameters to detect environmental changes.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kemija, Biologija, Interdisciplinarne prirodne znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA