Effects of sea surface warming on marine plankton
Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2014 papers
Abstract
Ocean warming has been implicated in the observed decline of oceanic phytoplankton biomass. Some studies suggest a physical pathway of warming via stratification and nutrient flux, and others a biological effect on plankton metabolic rates; yet the relative strength and possible interaction of these mechanisms remains unknown. Here, we implement projections from a global circulation model in a mesocosm experiment to examine both mechanisms in a multi-trophic plankton community. Warming treatments had positive direct effects on phytoplankton biomass, but these were overcompensated by the negative effects of decreased nutrient flux. Zooplankton switched from phytoplankton to grazing on ciliates. These results contrast with previous experiments under nutrient-replete conditions, where warming indirectly reduced phytoplankton biomass via increased zooplankton grazing. We conclude that the effect of ocean warming on marine plankton depends on the nutrient regime, and provide a mechanistic basis for understanding global change in marine ecosystems.
Related Papers
- Comparison of capture efficiency for zooplankton in the northern South China Sea,using two plankton mesh sizes(2013)
- → Short term effects of a commercial eastern oyster nursery upon nutrient and plankton dynamics of a coastal embayment: observations from mesocosm experiments(2013)5 cited
- → Ocean acidification decreases plankton respiration: evidence from a mesocosm experiment(2016)3 cited
- An Investigation Study on the Species,Quantity and Distribution of the Zooplankton in the Hasuhai Lake(1998)
- → Study on zooplankton diversity with physicochemical parameters of Hukal River, Kodinar Gujarat, India.(2017)