{"title":"Dramatic effect of extreme rainfall event and storm on microbial community dynamics in a subtropical coastal region","authors":"Madeline Olivia , Clara Natalie Annabel , Patrichka Wei-Yi Chen , Chih-hao Hsieh , Feng-Hsun Chang , Pei-Chi Ho , Chia-Te Chien , Chien-Fu Chao , Vladimir Mukhanov , An-Yi Tsai","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178560","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and typhoons, are becoming more frequent due to climate change and can significantly impact coastal microbial communities. This study examines the short-term alterations in microbial food webs—viruses, bacteria, picophytoplankton, nanoflagellates, ciliates, and diatom—following Typhoon Krathon in Taiwan's coastal waters in October 2024. Daily in situ sampling revealed a significant post-typhoon increased in viral, nanoflagellate, and <em>Synechococcus</em> spp. abundance. Furthermore, viral, <em>Synechococcus</em> spp., and nanoflagellate abundance increased by approximately 4.2 to 12.8-fold, 33.3 to 160 fold, and 0.5 to 9.4 fold in response to these weather events, compared to periods pre-typhoon, respectively. Modified dilution experiments showed that, before the typhoon, nanoflagellate grazing was the major cause of bacterial mortality, while viral lysis was the main cause of <em>Synechococcus</em> spp. mortality. Post-typhoon, there was a notable shift, with nanoflagellate grazing increasing mortality rates of bacteria and <em>Synechococcus</em> spp., suggesting that grazing became the dominant top-down control mechanism after the disturbance. Our findings suggest that extreme weather events shift microbial mortality dynamics, increasing the role of grazing in controlling microbial populations, with potential implications for carbon cycling in coastal ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"964 ","pages":"Article 178560"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Science of the Total Environment","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725001949","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and typhoons, are becoming more frequent due to climate change and can significantly impact coastal microbial communities. This study examines the short-term alterations in microbial food webs—viruses, bacteria, picophytoplankton, nanoflagellates, ciliates, and diatom—following Typhoon Krathon in Taiwan's coastal waters in October 2024. Daily in situ sampling revealed a significant post-typhoon increased in viral, nanoflagellate, and Synechococcus spp. abundance. Furthermore, viral, Synechococcus spp., and nanoflagellate abundance increased by approximately 4.2 to 12.8-fold, 33.3 to 160 fold, and 0.5 to 9.4 fold in response to these weather events, compared to periods pre-typhoon, respectively. Modified dilution experiments showed that, before the typhoon, nanoflagellate grazing was the major cause of bacterial mortality, while viral lysis was the main cause of Synechococcus spp. mortality. Post-typhoon, there was a notable shift, with nanoflagellate grazing increasing mortality rates of bacteria and Synechococcus spp., suggesting that grazing became the dominant top-down control mechanism after the disturbance. Our findings suggest that extreme weather events shift microbial mortality dynamics, increasing the role of grazing in controlling microbial populations, with potential implications for carbon cycling in coastal ecosystems.
期刊介绍:
The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere.
The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.