Strong seasonal effect of moderate experimental warming on plankton respiration in a temperate estuarine plankton community

Climate change projections forecast a 1.1–6.4 °C global increase in surface water temperature and a 3 °C increase for the Baltic Sea. This study examined the short-term interactive effects of a realistic future temperature increase (3 °C) on pelagic respiration and bacterioplankton growth and phytoplankton photosynthesis in situ. This study was undertaken throughout a full seasonal cycle in the northern Baltic Sea. We found marked positive short-term effects of temperature on plankton respiration but no significant effect on bacterioplankton growth or phytoplankton photosynthesis. Absolute respiration rates remained similar to other comparable environments at the in situ temperature. With the 3 °C temperature increase, respiration rates in situ increased up to 5-fold during the winter and 2-fold during the summer. A maximum seasonal Q10 value of 332 was observed for respiration during the cold winter months (twater ≈ 0 °C), and summer Q10 values were comparatively high (9.1). Q10 values exhibited a significant inverse relationship to water temperature during winter. Our results thereby suggest that plankton respiration in this coastal zone is more temperature sensitive than previously reported. In addition, field data indicated that plankton respiration switched from being temperature limited to being limited by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) after the simulated temperature increase. Assuming that our observations are relevant over longer time scales, climate change may worsen hypoxia, increase CO2 emissions and create a more heterotrophic food web in coastal zones with a high load of riverine DOC.