Enrichment of Omnivorous Baltic Sea Cercozoans
Author Information
Author(s): Piwosz Kasia, Pernthaler Jakob
Primary Institution: Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology, Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia, Poland
Hypothesis
The study investigates the response of omnivorous cercozoan nanoflagellates to food web manipulation in the Gulf of Gdańsk.
Conclusion
Omnivorous cercozoans were found to be highly competitive at low food concentrations but vulnerable to grazing pressure.
Supporting Evidence
- Omnivorous cercozoans were rapidly enriched under both experimental conditions.
- They foraged on both eukaryotic prey and bacteria.
- Their numbers stagnated in the F-treatment due to top-down control by other flagellates.
- In the F+D treatment, they represented almost one fifth of all aplastidic nanoflagellates.
- Competition for eukaryotic prey was higher in the F+D treatment.
Takeaway
Scientists studied tiny creatures in the Baltic Sea to see how they eat and grow when their food changes. They found that some can eat both plants and tiny animals, which helps them survive better.
Methodology
Food web manipulation experiments were conducted to assess the growth and feeding preferences of cercozoan nanoflagellates under different conditions.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the artificial nature of the experiments and the specific environmental conditions of the Baltic Sea.
Limitations
The study may not fully represent natural conditions due to the experimental setup.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on cercozoan nanoflagellates from the Gulf of Gdańsk.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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