A major red tide event occurred in waters off Southern California in the spring of 2020, resulting in dazzling displays of bioluminescence along the coast. The spectacle was caused by exceedingly high densities of Lingulodinium polyedra (L. polyedra), a plankton species renowned for its ability to emit a neon blue glow. While the red tide captured the public's attention and made global headlines, the event was also a harmful algal bloom.
Toxins were detected at the height of the bloom that had the potential to harm marine life, and dissolved oxygen levels dropped to near-zero as the extreme biomass of the red tide decomposed. This lack of oxygen led to fish die-offs and other destructive impacts on local ecosystems.
Lucas and former graduate student Bofu Zheng led the work alongside several colleagues in the midst of the red tide event in April and May 2020. The researchers seized the opportunity to deploy sophisticated ocean instruments off the coast of San Diego, resulting in unprecedented measurements. The team's findings were published in the Aug. 28 issue of theThe dinoflagellates—L.
"In the plankton world, they are Michael Phelps," said Lucas, describing the dinoflagellates."For comparison, fast-burst swimming in species like bluefin tuna or shortfin mako is around 9–10 body lengths per second, but only for very short periods. Their exceptional swimming allows L. polyedra to dive to cold depths where they can take up nutrients, allowing these organisms to really bloom and explode in population.
The growth of phytoplankton biomass, or the"bloom," correlated with proportional decreases in nitrate concentrations at depth, linking the important role that swimming phytoplankton have in the development of certain types of red tides. On cloudy days, the subsurface vertical migration was much less apparent, suggesting that the intensity of sunlight is an important trigger for vertical migration.
The researchers also looked at long-term ocean monitoring data captured by the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations , and long-term mooring data maintained by the Ocean Time-Series Group at Scripps Oceanography to see other consequences from the bloom.
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