Phosphorus limitation heightens vulnerability of <i>Crocosphaera watsonii</i> to ocean warming compared with iron limitation.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Phytoplankton rely on diazotrophs like the globally important Crocosphaera watsonii to provide bioavailable nitrogen through nitrogen fixation. Given predicted global warming and oligotrophic scenarios, we investigated how nutrient limitation modulates C. watsonii's response to ocean warming, to better understand future marine ecosystem health.

Methods

We performed complete temperature curves (20-34 °C) under three nutrient conditions [iron (Fe)-limited, phosphorus (P)-limited, and Fe/P-replete] to compare physiological responses and test previously hypothesized temperature-nutrient interactions.

Results

Across the viable temperature range, replete culture growth and fixation rates showed narrower, unimodal-like curves, contrasting the great

SUBMITTER: Mansour AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12815713 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature