Wind and sunlight shape microbial diversity in surface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

ABSTRACT: Few microbial time-series studies have been conducted in open ocean habitats having low seasonal variability such as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where surface waters experience comparatively mild seasonal variation. To better describe microbial seasonal variability in this habitat, we analyzed rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenomic data over two years at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station ALOHA. We postulated that this relatively stable habitat might reveal different environmental factors that influence planktonic microbial community diversity than those previously observed in more seasonally dynamic habitats. Unexpectedly, the data showed that microbial diversity at 25 m was positively correlated with average wind speed 3 to 10 days prior to sampling. In addition, microbia

SUBMITTER: Bryant JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5029195 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature