Distribution and Oxidation Rates of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea Influenced by the Coastal Upwelling off Eastern Hainan Island

Abstract

Coastal upwelling causes variations in temperature, salinity and inorganic nutrients in the water column, consequently leading to the shift of microbial populations and their metabolic activities. Impacts of the eastern Hainan upwelling (EHU) on the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were investigated based on the amoA gene using pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR at both DNA and cDNA levels, together with the determination of the ammonia oxidation (AO) rate measured with 15N-labelled ammonium. By comparing stations with and without upwelling influence, we found that coastal upwelling correlated with an increase in amoA gene abundance, the dominance of distinct clades for AOA communities at the respective gene and transcript levels, and a large increase in the proportion of the SCM1-like (Nitrosopumilus maritimus-like) cluster as well. The AO rates were generally higher in the deeper water (~25 m), which was in significant positive correlation with the proportion of cluster Water Column A (WCA) at the transcript level, indicating the potential contribution of this cluster to in situ ammonia oxidization. Our study demonstrated that coastal upwelling had a significant impact on the AOA community and ammonia oxidization rate; therefore, this physical forcing should be considered in the future assessment of the global nitrogen budgets and biogeochemical nitrogen cycles.