Significance of plankton community structure and nutrient availability for the control of dinoflagellate blooms by parasites: a modeling approach

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 1;10(6):e0127623. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127623. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Dinoflagellate blooms are frequently observed under temporary eutrophication of coastal waters after heavy rains. Growth of these opportunistic microalgae is believed to be promoted by sudden input of nutrients and the absence or inefficiency of their natural enemies, such as grazers and parasites. Here, numerical simulations indicate that increasing nutrient availability not only promotes the formation of dinoflagellate blooms but can also stimulate their control by protozoan parasites. Moreover, high abundance of phytoplankton other than dinoflagellate hosts might have a significant dilution effect on the control of dinoflagellate blooms by parasites, either by resource competition with dinoflagellates (thus limiting the number of hosts available for infection) or by affecting numerical-functional responses of grazers that consume free-living parasite stages. These outcomes indicate that although both dinoflagellates and their protozoan parasites are directly affected by nutrient availability, the efficacy of the parasitic control of dinoflagellate blooms under temporary eutrophication depends strongly on the structure of the plankton community as a whole.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Computer Simulation
  • Dinoflagellida / parasitology*
  • Dinoflagellida / physiology*
  • Eutrophication
  • Food*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted
  • Parasites / physiology*
  • Plankton / physiology*

Grants and funding

This research was part of the projects "Paralex", funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), and "Impact des eaux de crue sur le réseau microbien de la lagune de Thau (RESTHAU)", funded by the "ECosphère Continentale et Côtière" (EC2CO) French National Program. The modeling part was supported by the national French EC2CO program PARALEX (2009-2011) coordinated by L. Guillou. L. Velo-Suárez was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (IOF; grant agreement: MOHAB PIOF-GA-252260). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.