Unveiling the contribution of particle-associated non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs to N2 fixation in the upper mesopelagic North Pacific Gyre

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Dinitrogen (N 2 ) fixation supports marine life through the supply of reactive nitrogen. Recent studies suggest that particle-associated non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) could contribute significantly to N 2 fixation contrary to the paradigm of diazotrophy as primarily driven by cyanobacterial genera. We examine the community composition of NCDs associated with suspended, slow, and fast-sinking particles in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Suspended and slow-sinking particles showed a higher abundance of cyanobacterial diazotrophs than fast-sinking particles, while fast-sinking particles showed a higher diversity of NCDs including Marinobacter , Oceanobacter and Pseudomonas . Using single-cell mass spectrometry we find that Gammaproteobacteria N 2 fixation rates were higher on suspended and slow-sinking particles (up to 67 ± 48.54 fmol N cell⁻¹ d⁻¹), while putative NCDs’ rates were highest on fast-sinking particles (121 ± 22.02 fmol N cell⁻¹ d⁻¹). These rates are comparable to previous diazotrophic cyanobacteria observations, suggesting that particle-associated NCDs may be important contributors to pelagic N 2 fixation.