The Ghost of Predator Past: Interaction of Past Predator Exposure and Resource Availability on Toxin Retention and Cell Growth in a Dinoflagellate

The non-consumptive effects of past predator exposure on phytoplankton have gained recognition, but how these effects are modulated by resource availability requires further study. We examined the simultaneous effects of past predator exposure (direct, indirect, and no exposure) and nutrient regime (combinations of N- and P-repletion and limitation) on the paralytic shellfish toxin retention and cell growth rate of a toxic dinoflagellate, <i>Alexandrium catenella</i> (strain BF-5), under a laboratory-simulated bloom condition (exponential, stationary, and declining phases). Within a past predator exposure treatment, cell toxin retention was generally higher under N-replete than N-limited conditions. The cells of past direct predator exposure treatment retained or produced more toxin than those in the indirect-exposure or no-exposure treatments regardless of nutrient regime in the exponential and stationary phase. By contrast, cells directly exposed to predators showed lower growth rates than the other two treatments, and also showed a tradeoff between toxin retention rate and growth rate. Separate experiments also showed that the effect of past predator exposure on reducing cell growth is stronger under N repletion than N limitation. These results imply that the interactions of past predator exposure and resource availability impact bloom dynamics and toxin transfer in the food web.