Deep-Sea Bioluminescence Blooms after Dense Water Formation at the Ocean Surface

Tamburini C, Canals M, Houpert L, Lefevre D, Martini V, D'Ortenzio F, Robert A, Testor P, Aguilar JA, Al Samarai I, Albert A, Andre M, Anghinolfi M, Anton G, Anvar S, Ardid M, Jesus ACA, Astraatmadja TL, Aubert JJ, Baret B, Basa S, Bertin V, Biagi S, Bigi A, Bigongiari C, Bogazzi C, Bou-Cabo M, Bouhou B, Bouwhuis MC, Brunner J, Busto J, Camarena F, Capone A, Carloganu C, Carminati G, Carr J, Cecchini S, Charif Z, Charvis P, Chiarusi T, Circella M, Coniglione R, Costantini H, Coyle P, Curtil C, Decowski P, Dekeyser I, Deschamps A, Donzaud C, Dornic D, Dorosti HQ, Drouhin D, Eberl T, Emanuele U, Ernenwein JP, Escoffier S, Fermani P, Ferri M, Flaminio V, Folger F, Fritsch U, Fuda JL, Galata S, Gay P, Giacomelli G, Giordano V, Gomez-Gonzalez JP, Graf K, Guillard G, Halladjian G, Hallewell G, Van Haren H, Hartman J, Heijboer AJ, Hello Y, Hernandez-Rey JJ, Herold B, Hößl J, Hsu CC, De Jong M, Kadler M, Kalekin O, Kappes A, Katz U, Kavatsyuk O, Kooijman P, Kopper C, Kouchner A, Kreykenbohm I, Kulikovskiy V, Lahmann R, Lamare P, Larosa G, Lattuada D, Lim G, Lo Presti D, Loehner H, Loucatos S, Mangano S, Marcelin M, Margiotta A, Martinez-Mora JA, Meli A, Montaruli T, Moscoso L, Motz H, Neff M, Nezri EN, Palioselitis D, Pavalas GE, Payet K, Payre P, Petrovic J, Piattelli P, Picot-Clemente N, Popa V, Pradier T, Presani E, Racca C, Reed C, Riccobene G, Richardt C, Richter R, Riviere C, Roensch K, Rostovtsev A, Ruiz-Rivas J, Rujoiu M, Russo VG, Salesa F, Sanchez-Losa A, Sapienza P, Schoeck F, Schuller JP, Schussler F, Shanidze R, Simeone F, Spies A, Spurio M, Steijger JJM, Stolarczyk T, Taiuti MGF, Toscano S, Vallage B, Van Elewyck V, Vannoni G, Vecchi M, Vernin P, Wijnker G, Wilms J, De Wolf E, Yepes H, Zaborov D, Zornoza JDD, Zuniga J (2013)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2013

Journal

Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Book Volume: 8

Article Number: ARTN e67523

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067523

Abstract

The deep ocean is the largest and least known ecosystem on Earth. It hosts numerous pelagic organisms, most of which are able to emit light. Here we present a unique data set consisting of a 2.5-year long record of light emission by deep-sea pelagic organisms, measured from December 2007 to June 2010 at the ANTARES underwater neutrino telescope in the deep NW Mediterranean Sea, jointly with synchronous hydrological records. This is the longest continuous time-series of deep-sea bioluminescence ever recorded. Our record reveals several weeks long, seasonal bioluminescence blooms with light intensity up to two orders of magnitude higher than background values, which correlate to changes in the properties of deep waters. Such changes are triggered by the winter cooling and evaporation experienced by the upper ocean layer in the Gulf of Lion that leads to the formation and subsequent sinking of dense water through a process known as "open-sea convection". It episodically renews the deep water of the study area and conveys fresh organic matter that fuels the deep ecosystems. Luminous bacteria most likely are the main contributors to the observed deep-sea bioluminescence blooms. Our observations demonstrate a consistent and rapid connection between deep open-sea convection and bathypelagic biological activity, as expressed by bioluminescence. In a setting where dense water formation events are likely to decline under global warming scenarios enhancing ocean stratification, in situ observatories become essential as environmental sentinels for the monitoring and understanding of deep-sea ecosystem shifts.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

National Institute for Subatomic Physics / Nationaal instituut voor subatomaire fysica (Nikhef) Netherlands (NL) Spanish National Research Council / Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Spain (ES) Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP) /Институт теоретической и экспериментальной физики Russian Federation (RU) Polytechnic University of Valencia / Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Spain (ES) Aix-Marseille University / Aix-Marseille Université France (FR) National Institute for Nuclear Physics / Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Italy (IT) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique France (FR) Institute of Space Science (ISS) / Institutul de Științe Spațiale Romania (RO) University of Paris 6 - Pierre et Marie Curie / Université Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) France (FR) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) Université de Strasbourg (UDS) France (FR) Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) Netherlands (NL) University of Nice Sophia Antipolis / Université Nice Sophia Antipolis France (FR) University of Groningen / Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Netherlands (NL) Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) France (FR) L’université Blaise Pascal (L'UBP) / Blaise Pascal University France (FR) Université de Perpignan Via Domitia France (FR) Polytechnic University of Catalonia / Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Spain (ES) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) / University of Barcelona Spain (ES)

How to cite

APA:

Tamburini, C., Canals, M., Houpert, L., Lefevre, D., Martini, V., D'Ortenzio, F.,... Zuniga, J. (2013). Deep-Sea Bioluminescence Blooms after Dense Water Formation at the Ocean Surface. PLoS ONE, 8(7). https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067523

MLA:

Tamburini, Christian, et al. "Deep-Sea Bioluminescence Blooms after Dense Water Formation at the Ocean Surface." PLoS ONE 8.7 (2013).

BibTeX: Download