Copepods and mixotrophic Rhizaria dominate zooplankton abundances in the oligotrophic Indian Ocean

Davies, Claire; Beckley, L.E.; Richardson, Anthony J.

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2022.105136

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 47 publications

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“…With many closely related species competing for the same resource the level of intraspecific and interspecific competition (Strand et al, 2020) could drive niche divergence in these areas despite the lower diversity compared with the tropics (Benedetti et al, 2023). In contrast, carnivorous copepods tend to occupy warmer, oligotrophic regions of the ocean (Davies et al, 2022;Benedetti et al, 2023). Here the main trophic pathways are governed by nanoplankton (i.e., smaller phytoplankton, heterotrophic protists and bacteria through the microbial loop).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global variation in zooplankton niche divergence: Evidence of environmental and trait signals for calanoid copepods

McGinty,

Irwin

2024

Preprint

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Ocean warming has led to significant changes for marine zooplankton. Modelling responses to climate change assume that zooplankton respond uniformly with little adaptation (niche conservatism). Oceanic barriers, local adaptation and genetic variation in cosmopolitan species could drive niche divergence between same species populations. We assess niche divergence among 325 globally distributed species across the five main ocean basins. There were 487 diverged niches out of 1124 ocean basin comparisons. The proportion of diverged niches varied both across and within phyla. Calanoida (133 of 325 species) were used to test the likelihood of niche divergence between same species population across environmental gradients. Niche divergence was more likely to occur in species that occupy colder waters and in shallower depths. Niche divergence was more likely for larger ominivore-herbivores than smaller sized carnivores. This study demonstrates adaptive potential across environmental-niche gradients, which must be considered when modelling population responses to climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global variation in zooplankton niche divergence: Evidence of environmental and trait signals for calanoid copepods

McGinty,

Irwin

2024

Preprint

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A Revised Interpretation of Marine Primary Productivity in the Indian Ocean: The Role of Mixoplankton

Mitra,

Leles

2023

Dynamics of Planktonic Primary Productivity in the Indian Ocean

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Traditional interpretations of marine plankton ecology, such as that in the Indian Ocean, mirror the plant-animal dichotomy of terrestrial ecology. Thus, single-celled phytoplankton produce food consumed by single-celled zooplankton, and these are in turn consumed by larger zooplankton through to higher trophic levels. Our routine monitoring surveys, research, models, and water management protocols all reflect this interpretation. The last decade has witnessed the development of an important revision of that traditional vision. We now know that the phytoplankton-zooplankton dichotomy represents, at best, a gross simplification. A significant proportion of the protist plankton at the base of the oceanic food-web can photosynthesise (make food ‘like plants’) and ingest food (eat ‘like animals’), thus contributing to both primary and secondary production simultaneously in the same cell. These protists are termed ‘mixoplankton’, and include many species traditionally labelled as ‘phytoplankton’ (a term now reserved for phototrophic microbes that are incapable of phagocytosis) or labelled as ‘protist zooplankton’ (now reserved for protist plankton incapable of phototrophy). Mixoplankton include various harmful algal species, most likely all the phototrophic dinoflagellates, and even iconic exemplar ‘phytoplankton’ such as coccolithophorids (which can consume bacteria). Like all significant revisions to ecology, the mixoplankton paradigm will take time to mature but to ignore it means that we fail to properly represent plankton ecology in teaching, science, management, and policy. This chapter introduces the mixoplankton functional groups and provides the first insight into the biogeography of these organisms in the Indian Ocean. A first attempt to consider the implications of the mixoplankton paradigm on marine primary productivity and ecology in the Indian Ocean is also given.

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Plankton assemblages in a tropical West African estuary

Adhiambo,

Mensah,

Acheampong

et al. 2024

Aquat Sci

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Copepods and mixotrophic Rhizaria dominate zooplankton abundances in the oligotrophic Indian Ocean

Cited by 7 publications

References 47 publications

Global variation in zooplankton niche divergence: Evidence of environmental and trait signals for calanoid copepods

Global variation in zooplankton niche divergence: Evidence of environmental and trait signals for calanoid copepods

A Revised Interpretation of Marine Primary Productivity in the Indian Ocean: The Role of Mixoplankton

Plankton assemblages in a tropical West African estuary

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