Distribution and drivers of symbiotic and free-living diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the western tropical South Pacific

The abundance and distribution of cyanobacterial diazotrophs were quantified in two regions (Melanesian archipelago, MA; and subtropical gyre, SG) of the western tropical South Pacific using nifH quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. UCYN-A1 and A2 host populations were quantified using 18S rRNA qPCR assays including one newly developed assay. All phylotypes were detected in the upper photic zone (0–50 m), with higher abundances in the MA region. Trichodesmium and UCYN-B dominated and ranged from 2.18  ×  10 2 to 9.41  ×  10 6 and 1.10  ×  10 2 to 2.78  ×  10 6 nifH copies L −1 , respectively. Het-1 (symbiont of Rhizosolenia diatoms) was the next most abundant (1.40  ×  10 1 –1.74  ×  10 5 nifH  copies L −1 ) and co-occurred with het-2 and het-3. UCYN-A1 and A2 were the least abundant diazotrophs and were below detection (bd) in 63 and 79, respectively, of 120 samples. In addition, in up to 39 % of samples in which UCYN-A1 and A2 were detected, their respective hosts were bd. Pairwise comparisons of the nifH abundances and various environmental parameters supported two groups: a deep-dwelling group (45 m) comprised of UCYN-A1 and A2 and a surface group (0–15 m) comprised of Trichodesmium , het-1 and het-2. Temperature and photosynthetically active radiation were positively correlated with the surface group, while UCYN-A1 and A2 were positively correlated with depth, salinity, and oxygen. Similarly, in a meta-analysis of 11 external datasets, all diazotrophs, except UCYN-A were correlated with temperature. Combined, our results indicate that conditions favoring the UCYN-A symbiosis differ from those of diatom diazotroph associations and free-living cyanobacterial diazotrophs.