biostudies-literatureLuo HNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation)China Scholarship CouncilNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationGordon and Betty Moore FoundationNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)103https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9723592biostudies-literatureUnknown2(1)The mixoplankton green Noctiluca scintillans (gNoctiluca) is known to form extensive green tides in tropical coastal ecosystems prone to eutrophication. In the Arabian Sea, their recent appearance and annual recurrence have upended an ecosystem that was once exclusively dominated by diatoms. Despite evidence of strong links to eutrophication, hypoxia and warming, the mechanisms underlying outbreaks of this mixoplanktonic dinoflagellate remain uncertain. Here we have used eco-physiological measurements and transcriptomic profiling to ascribe gNoctiluca's explosive growth during bloom formation to the form of sexual reproduction that produces numerous gametes. Rapid growth of gNoctiluca coincided with active ammonium and phosphate release from gNoctiluca cells, which exhibited high transcripISME communicationsA grazing-driven positive nutrient feedback loop and active sexual reproduction underpin widespread Noctiluca green tides.PMC97235924980.01201998342276096NNX17AG66G-ECO4CASTCMS-80NSSC20K0014Goes JITobias CLin SAl-Hashmi KKoerting CLuo HGomes HDRWang JfalseA grazing-driven positive nutrient feedback loop and active sexual reproduction underpin widespread Noctiluca green tides.The mixoplankton green Noctiluca scintillans (gNoctiluca) is known to form extensive green tides in tropical coastal ecosystems prone to eutrophication. In the Arabian Sea, their recent appearance and annual recurrence have upended an ecosystem that was once exclusively dominated by diatoms. Despite evidence of strong links to eutrophication, hypoxia and warming, the mechanisms underlying outbreaks of this mixoplanktonic dinoflagellate remain uncertain. Here we have used eco-physiological measurements and transcriptomic profiling to ascribe gNoctiluca's explosive growth during bloom formation to the form of sexual reproduction that produces numerous gametes. Rapid growth of gNoctiluca coincided with active ammonium and phosphate release from gNoctiluca cells, which exhibited high transcrip2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Oct2026-06-03T13:26:09.558Z2025-04-19T18:54:24.228ZS-EPMC97235923793875810.1038/s43705-022-00187-4