AtlantECO Deliverable - D05.4 - Report on results of all experiments performed

Abstract

This deliverable reports the results of experimental analyses focused on elucidating microbial communities andtheir responses to nutrient co-limitation under WP5 (Task 5.4). We contribute towards advancements in microbial ecology, under the auspices of the AtlantECO project, and substantially advance knowledge regarding microbiota in underexplored systems. Through a combination of dedicated research cruises, including voyages on the RV SA Agulhas II and the Schooner Tara Oceans, we combine trace metal limitation experiments, genome scale metabolic analyses, and bioinformatic analyses to explore bacterial, archaeal and viral communities in these regions. The WP has contributed towards substantial advances to understanding structure, function and environmental vulnerability in underexplored regions, influenced by large rivers, off the coast of Africa. Field-based experimental work conducted in the Southern Ocean, and samples were collected just north of theimportant Benguela upwelling system. We measured nutrient, trace metals, and iron limitation and co-limitation dynamics using replicated mesocosms. Our work provides insights regarding underexplored deepregions of the ocean, and particularly microbial contributions to biogeochemistry.