Mixotrophic Feeding Dynamics in Marine Dinoflagellates
Summary
Marine dinoflagellates exhibit mixotrophy, combining photosynthesis with ingestion of prey to maintain nutritional flexibility across variable environments. This dual trophic capability is mediated by diverse mechanisms—including direct phagotrophy, retention of functional chloroplasts from prey (kleptoplastidy) and intricate vertical migrations that synchronise light harvesting and nutrient acquisition. Such strategies underpin bloom formation, carbon export and nutrient cycling in coastal and open-ocean systems. Mixotrophic feeding dynamics are shaped by cell size, trophic specialisation and environmental drivers such as temperature, light and nutrient availability. At the cellular level, ingestion triggers transcriptomic shifts that regulate energy storage, motility and prey detection, while starvation prompts metabolic reconfiguration to sustain basal metabolism. Trait-based and size-spectrum models have refined our understanding of prey selection and grazing pressure, revealing niche differentiation among dinoflagellate guilds. Furthermore, thermal and light regimes modulate the balance between autotrophic and heterotrophic processes, with implications for bloom toxicity and ecosystem resilience under climate change. Collectively, these insights offer a mechanistic basis for forecasting harmful algal blooms, assessing biogeochemical feedbacks and informing management of coastal ecosystems.
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Mixotrophic Feeding Dynamics in Marine Dinoflagellates publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mixotrophic feeding dynamics in marine dinoflagellates across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mixotrophy: A nutritional strategy combining autotrophic photosynthesis with heterotrophic ingestion of prey.
Phagotrophy: The process of engulfing and ingesting particulate food items, such as other microorganisms.
Kleptoplastidy: The retention and functional use of chloroplasts acquired from ingested algal prey.
Vertical migration: The diel movement of organisms through the water column to optimise access to light and dissolved nutrients.
References
- Dinoflagellate vertical migration fuels an intense red tide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2023).
- Transcriptomic Response to Feeding and Starvation in a Herbivorous Dinoflagellate. Frontiers in Marine Science (2019).
- Size-dependent and -independent prey selection of dinoflagellates. Marine Biology (2022).
- Phytoplankton and particle size spectra indicate intense mixotrophic dinoflagellates grazing from summer to winter. Journal of Plankton Research (2022).
- Temperature-Dependent Mixotrophy in Natural Populations of the Toxic Dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. Water (2024).
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