How marine plankton adapts to a changing world

(Press-News.org) The study, a collaboration between MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), reanalyzed massive datasets of large-scale distributions of plankton-derived lipids in the ocean, which were initially published by WHOI in 2022. “This study shows the value of open science,” says first author Dr. Weimin Liu from MARUM. “Using new methods on open-access data, we uncovered previously hidden patterns of plankton adaptation.”

The datasets, totaling over 200 GB of mass spectrometry data, include lipid profiles — key components of cell membranes — from 930 samples collected across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, at depths from the surface down to 400 meters. Unlike traditional approaches that focus only on known molecules, this study also included unknown lipids using network analysis, letting the data speak for themselves. This approach allowed a more comprehensive and less biased view of lipid diversity in marine plankton.

The analysis showed that plankton lipid profiles are closely linked to their environment. The numerically highest lipid diversity was found in cold polar and subpolar oceans, where plankton use a wider range of strategies — such as shortening fatty acid chains — to keep their cell membranes fluid. In warmer open oceans, the team observed shifts in lipid distribution that likely reflect adaptations to low nutrient availability. In deeper waters of these regions, plankton increased the production of unsaturated fatty acids, a strategy that may reflect a response to low light conditions.

“These changes in lipids reveal how plankton communities adapt to their surroundings,” says Dr. Liu. “Since plankton, especially phytoplankton, form the base of ocean ecosystems, their responses can ripple through the entire marine food web and lead to far-reaching, sometimes unexpected, consequences.”

This research demonstrates how combining environmental lipidomics with data science can uncover the mechanisms behind plankton adaptation — offering new insight into how marine ecosystems function. The research is benefitted from the establishment of cheminformatics expertise within the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface” based at MARUM.  

 

Contact Dr. Weimin Liu
Organic Geochemistry
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218 65742
Email: wliu@marum.de

 

Participating institutions: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Germany

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, USA

 

MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the ocean floor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the ocean and the ocean floor significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, and create unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society and the marine environment, and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data and makes it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperates with commercial and industrial partners in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu.

 

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