Characterization of the synoptic-scale diversity, biogeography, and size distribution of diatoms in the North Pacific

The diversity, biogeography, and size distribution of diatoms in the North Pacific and underlying mechanisms shaping those patterns have little been characterized despite their importance in marine ecosystems. Here, we examined the community structure of diatoms in the surface and subsurface chlorophyll a maximum (SCM) layers of the North Pacific using light and scanning electron microscopy. Diatom carbon biomass in both the subarctic and temperate coastal regions was higher than that in the open subtropical and tropical waters. Species density was high in the temperate coastal region and certain open ocean stations where coastal water could be intruded. Diversity was generally higher in the SCM layer than that in the surface layer without a clear latitudinal trend. All diatom species in the open subtropical waters were observed in the temperate coastal waters, suggesting that the coastal regions act as a species bank. Certain indigenous species in the subarctic waters were considered as cryophilic species. We found that the general patterns of the size spectrum were nearly identical among different geographical regions of the North Pacific, irrespective of the species composition, environmental conditions, and seasonality. Our results provide mechanistic insights indicating that the diatom biodiversity in the species bank around the coastal region and the following current systems from the coastal to oceanic regions could principally determine biodiversity patterns in the North Pacific. The species-specific ecophysiological traits of diatoms and environmental conditions may further modify the biodiversity patterns and size distribution of diatoms.