Stenegren M. auteur aut IRD Caputo A. auteur aut IRD Berg C. auteur aut IRD Bonnet Sophie auteur aut IRD Foster R. A. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access 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 x 10(2) to 9.41 x 10(6) and 1.10 x 10(2) to 2.78 x 10(6) nifH copies L-1, respectively. Het-1 (symbiont of Rhizosolenia diatoms) was the next most abundant (1.40 x 10(1)-1.74 x 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. specialized PACIFIQUE SUD ZONE TROPICALE 036 032 15 5 1559-1578 2018 1726-4170 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010072470 10.5194/bg-15-1559-2018 1726-4170 [F B010072470] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010072470 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers18-04/010072470.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2018-05-04 2023-07-11 fdi:010072470 fre