Succession within the prokaryotic communities during the VAHINE mesocosms experiment in the New Caledonia lagoon

A study on the Lagoons of New Caledonia reveals that nitrogen fixation, driven by diazotrophs, significantly boosts primary production in oligotrophic coastal ecosystems. The VAHINE experiment used large-volume mesocosms to track the impact of phosphorus fertilization on microbial communities and biogeochemical processes over 23 days. While enclosure effects were observed, no pronounced 'bottle effect' occurred, and phosphorus addition did not immediately alter community structure but influenced later population dynamics. Notably, UCYN-C-type cyanobacteria exhibited among the highest nitrogen-fixation rates recorded in the region, stimulating growth of heterotrophic groups like Rhodobacteraceae. Temporal changes were more influential than enclosure location, with prokaryotic diversity remaining relatively stable, underscoring the resilience and complexity of lagoon ecosystems.

Pfreundt, U., Van Wambeke, F., Caffin, M., Bonnet, S., & Hess, W. R. (2016). Succession within the prokaryotic communities during the VAHINE mesocosms experiment in the New Caledonia lagoon. Biogeosciences, 13(8), 2319–2337. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2319-2016