Description: Global warming is assumed to alter the trophic interactions and carbon flow patterns of aquatic food webs. The impact of temperature on phyto-bacterioplankton coupling and bacterial community composition (BCC) was the focus of the present study, in which an indoor mesocosm experiment with natural plankton communities from the western Baltic Sea was conducted. A 6°C increase in water temperature resulted, as predicted, in tighter coupling between the diatom-dominated phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria, accompanied by a strong increase in carbon flow into bacterioplankton during the phytoplankton bloom phase. Suppressed bacterial development at cold in situ temperatures probably reflected lowered bacterial production and grazing by protists, as the latter were less affected by low temperatures. BCC was strongly influenced by the phytoplankton bloom stage and to a lesser extent by temperature. Under both temperature regimes, Gammaproteobacteria clearly dominated during the phytoplankton peak, with Glaciecola sp. as the single most abundant taxon. However, warming induced the appearance of additional bacterial taxa belonging to Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Our results show that warming during an early phytoplankton bloom causes a shift towards a more heterotrophic system, with the appearance of new bacterial taxa suggesting a potential for utilization of a broader substrate spectrum.

Description: Simultaneous analysis of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotope ratios was applied in this pilot study to examine the food web of a Zostera marina L. system in the western Baltic Sea. Samples of three potential food sources: eelgrass, epiphytic algae and seston, as well as 69 consumer species were collected during the growing season of Z. marina from March to September 2011. The measured δ13C values of epiphytes (-14.1‰ ± 1.8 SD) were close to δ13C values of eelgrass (-11.6‰ ± 1.8 SD), impeding a clear distinction of those two carbon sources, whereas seston δ13C values (-20.9‰ ± 3.5 SD) were clearly different. This frequently encountered problem was solved by the additional use of δ34S, which resulted in easily distinguishable values for sediment and seawater derived sulphur. Values of primary producer δ34S ranged from 5.6‰ (± 2.3 SD) for Z. marina leaves to 14.2‰ (± 1.6 SD) for epiphytes and 11.9‰ (± 3.3 SD) for seston. The combination of δ34S and δ13C values made a separation of carbon sources possible and enabled the allocation of potential food sources to consumers and a description of their trophic relationships. The data of stable isotope ratio analysis of this eelgrass community strongly indicate a food web based on epiphyte and seston production. δ15N values show a food web consisting of large numbers of generalists and a high degree of omnivory amongst the consumer species analysed. This implies an occupation of every trophic position possible, which is supported by a continuous distribution of δ15N values. Previously described eelgrass food webs may have to be re-evaluated to include sulfur in order to provide a clear picture on primary carbon sources.

Description: 1. Different components of the climate system have been shown to affect temporal dynamics in natural plankton communities on scales varying from days to years. The seasonal dynamics in temperate lake plankton communities, with emphasis on both physical and biological forcing factors, were captured in the 1980s in a conceptual framework, the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model. 2. Taking the PEG model as our starting point, we discuss anticipated changes in seasonal and long-term plankton dynamics and extend this model to other climate regions, particularly polar and tropical latitudes. Based on our improved post-PEG understanding of plankton dynamics, we also evaluate the role of microbial plankton, parasites and fish in governing plankton dynamics and distribution. 3. In polar lakes, there is usually just a single peak in plankton biomass in summer. Lengthening of the growing season under warmer conditions may lead to higher and more prolonged phytoplankton productivity. Climate-induced increases in nutrient loading in these oligotrophic waters may contribute to higher phytoplankton biomass and subsequent higher zooplankton and fish productivity. 4. In temperate lakes, a seasonal pattern with two plankton biomass peaks – in spring and summer – can shift to one with a single but longer and larger biomass peak as nutrient loading increases, with associated higher populations of zooplanktivorous fish. Climate change will exacerbate these trends by increasing nutrient loading through increased internal nutrient inputs (due to warming) and increased catchment inputs (in the case of more precipitation). 5. In tropical systems, temporal variability in precipitation can be an important driver of the seasonal development of plankton. Increases in precipitation intensity may reset the seasonal dynamics of plankton communities and favour species adapted to highly variable environments. The existing intense predation by fish on larger zooplankters may increase further, resulting in a perennially low zooplankton biomass. 6. Bacteria were not included in the original PEG model. Seasonally, bacteria vary less than the phytoplankton but often follow its patterns, particularly in colder lakes. In warmer lakes, and with future warming, a greater influx of allochthonous carbon may obscure this pattern. 7. Our analyses indicate that the consequences of climate change for plankton dynamics are, to a large extent, system specific, depending on characteristics such as food-web structure and nutrient loading. Indirect effects through nutrient loading may be more important than direct effects of temperature increase, especially for phytoplankton. However, with warming a general picture emerges of increases in bacterivory, greater cyanobacterial dominance and smaller-bodied zooplankton that are more heavily impacted by fish predation.

Description: Changing seawater chemistry towards reduced pH as a result of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is affecting oceanic organisms, particularly calcifying species. Responses of non-calcifying consumers are highly variable and mainly mediated through indirect ocean acidification effects induced by changing the biochemical content of their prey, as shown within single species and simple 2-trophic level systems. However, it can be expected that indirect CO2 impacts observed at the single species level are compensated at the ecosystem level by species richness and complex trophic interactions. A dampening of CO2-effects can be further expected for coastal communities adapted to strong natural fluctuations in pCO2, typical for productive coastal habitats. Here we show that a plankton community of the Kiel Fjord was tolerant to CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) levels projected for the end of this century (〈1400 µatm), and only subtle differences were observed at the extremely high value of 4000 µatm. We found similar phyto- and microzooplankton biomass and copepod abundance and egg production across all CO2 treatment levels. Stoichiometric phytoplankton food quality was minimally different at the highest pCO2 treatment, but was far from being potentially limiting for copepods. These results are in contrast to studies that include only a single species, which observe strong indirect CO2 effects for herbivores and suggest limitations of biological responses at the level of organism to community. Although this coastal plankton community was highly tolerant to high fluctuations in pCO2, increase in hypoxia and CO2 uptake by the ocean can aggravate acidification and may lead to pH changes outside the range presently experienced by coastal organisms.

Description: Three species of marine phytoplankton, Rhodomonas sp., Isochrysis galbana Parke, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, were cultivated in semicontinuous cultures to test biochemical responses (fatty acids; FAs) to five nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) supply ratios and four growth rates (dilution rates). The characteristic FA profile was observed for each algal species (representing particular algal class), which remained relatively stable across the entire ranges of N:P supply ratios and growth rates. For all species, significant direct effects of N:P supply ratios on FAs were found at lower growth rates. The highest saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid (SFA and MUFA) contents were observed under N deficiency at the lowest growth rate in all three species, while responses of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) revealed no consistent pattern. Total FAs (and SFAs and MUFAs) in all species showed significant negative correlations with N cell quota (QN) under N deficiency, but PUFAs had species-specific correlations with QN. The results show that characteristic FA profiles of algal genus or species (representing particular algal classes) underlie fluctuations according to culture conditions. The significant correlation between FAs and QN under N deficiency suggests that elemental and biochemical limitation of phytoplankton should be considered mutually as determinants of food quality for zooplankton in marine ecosystems.

Description: 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.

Description: Traditionally, consumer–prey interactions have been considered as purely negative, but herbivores may have positive effects on plants and their productivity. Grazing may enhance prey biomass-specific productivity by directly or indirectly reducing the competition for light, nutrients, and space. We studied the effect of 4 common mesograzers, the isopod Idotea baltica, the amphipod Gammarus oceanicus, and the gastropods Littorina littorea and Rissoa membranacea on epiphytes in an eelgrass Zostera marina L. system. Eelgrass was grown in laboratory mesocosms for a set of experiments manipulating mesograzer species identity, mesograzer density and nutrient concentration. We measured epiphyte biomass-specific productivity via incorporation of radioactive carbon. Herbivore effects on epiphyte photosynthetic capacity were strongly positive for R. membranacea, moderately positive for L. littorea and I. baltica and zero for G. oceanicus under low nutrient supply. Both gastropods increased the nitrogen content of epiphytes, especially the small R. membranacea, and enhanced epiphyte growth. The crustacean species did not increase epiphyte nutrient content, but I. baltica probably enhanced epiphyte productivity by removing the overstory of algal cells, and thus reducing competition for light, nutrients, and space. The positive effect of the 2 gastropod species disappeared under higher nutrient supply, implying the importance of nutrient limitation for this interaction. The positive effect of I. baltica remained at moderate grazer densities despite the higher nutrient concentrations.

Description: Three species of phytoplankton, Rhodomonas sp., Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, and Isochrysis galbana Parke, were cultivated in semicontinuous culture to analyze the response of carbon (C):nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry to the interactive effect of five N:P supply ratios and four growth rates (dilution rates). The relationship between cellular N and P quotas and growth rates fits well to both the Droop and Ågren’s functions for all species. We observed excess uptake of both N and P in the three species. N:P biomass ratios showed a significant positive relationship with N:P supply ratios across the entire range of growth rates, and N:P biomass ratios converged to an intermediate value independent of N:P supply ratios at higher growth rates. The effect of growth rates on N:P biomass ratios was positive at lower N:P supply ratios, but negative at higher N:P supply ratios for both Rhodomonas sp. and I. galbana, while for P. tricornutum this effect was negative at all N:P supply ratios. A significant interactive effect of N:P supply ratios and growth rates on N:P biomass ratios was found in both Rhodomonas sp. and P. tricornutum, but not in I. galbana. Our results suggest that Ågren’s functions may explain the underlying biochemical principle for the Droop model. The parameters in the Droop and Ågren’s functions can be useful indications of algal succession in the phytoplankton community in changing oceans.

Description: Summary - In our recent contribution to the special issue on plankton dynamics in a fast-changing world, we outlined some general predictions of plankton dynamics in different climate regions now and in future, building on the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model (de Senerpont Domis et al., 2013). - We proposed a stylised version of plankton dynamics in Fig. 3 of our article and stated that these patterns need to be further elaborated. Our figure displays annual plankton dynamics now and in future in oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes in arctic, temperate and tropical climate zones. - We fully agree with Sarmento, Amado & Descy (2013) that more data on tropical regions are needed, and we are looking forward to the emergence of published data from tropical regions to extend our still-limited understanding of plankton dynamics in these regions. - Sarmento et al. (2013) did not agree with our predictions on plankton dynamics for hydrology-driven water systems in the tropics. Unfortunately, however, Sarmento et al. (2013) did not substantiate their statements with the much-needed data on plankton dynamics in the tropics. Moreover, they merely provide an overview of precipitation patterns in the tropics, not an alternative hypothesis for our predictions.

Description: The widely cited Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model of plankton seasonal succession is often used as a template to explain the seasonal changes in plankton communities outside the cold temperate zone, where it was developed, but this may be inappropriate for lower-latitude lakes. Lower-latitude lakes have high light availability in winter and less pronounced seasonal variations in fish predation on zooplankton. We might therefore expect higher phytoplankton crops in winter and much more predation on zooplankton by fish than in colder lakes. This might lead to less grazing in summer and relatively higher phytoplankton crops. We compared data on phytoplankton biovolume, zooplankton biomass and body size from 18 German and 6 Greek lakes to test these hypotheses.