The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Resource-driven regulation and environmental responses of mixotrophy in marine microphytoplankton
ID:931 Poster Presentation

2027-01-15 16:15 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 16 - Quantifying marine microbial processes in a changing ocean – synthesizing experiments/fieldwork and models/theories

Abstract
Marine plankton communities are central to global biogeochemical cycles and climate regulation. Among them, mixotrophy, combining photosynthesis and phagotrophy, is increasingly recognized for its metabolic flexibility. However, the quantitative mechanisms governing resource acquisition and allocation in mixotrophs, and their responses to environmental change, remain poorly understood. Under global change, environmental factors such as light, temperature, and nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) strongly regulate metabolic allocation in mixotrophic phytoplankton, with important consequences for marine primary productivity and the carbon cycle. Current understanding is largely derived from freshwater or temperate systems and often relies on physiological observations or model extrapolations, while direct quantification of carbon and nitrogen fluxes under controlled conditions remains limited. Here, we use two marine mixotrophic, Ochromonas sp. and Florenciella sp., as model organisms. Under axenic conditions, we establish autotrophic and mixotrophic treatments and systematically manipulate light, nitrogen sources, and bacterial abundance. By integrating physiological assays, stable isotope tracing, and multi-omics analyses, we quantify carbon and nitrogen fluxes from photosynthesis and phagotrophy. Combining physiological and molecular perspectives, this study provides a quantitative framework for understanding how environmental conditions regulate nutritional strategies and resource allocation in marine mixotrophs across distinct taxonomic groups.
 
Speaker
Jing Ni Xiamen University

Author
Jing Ni Xiamen University

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027