Short-term responses of unicellular planktonic eukaryotes to increases in temperature and UVB radiation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Small size eukaryotes play a fundamental role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems, however, the way in which these micro-organisms respond to combined effects of water temperature, UVB radiations (UVBR) and nutrient availability is still poorly investigated.

Results

We coupled molecular tools (18S rRNA gene sequencing and fingerprinting) with microscope-based identification and counting to experimentally investigate the short-term responses of small eukaryotes (<6 μm; from a coastal Mediterranean lagoon) to a warming treatment (+3°C) and UVB radiation increases (+20%) at two different nutrient levels. Interestingly, the increase in temperature resulted in higher pigmented eukaryotes abundances and in community structure changes clearly illustrated by molecula

SUBMITTER: Domaizon I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3478981 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature