Description: The differences in the impact of two major groups of herbivorous zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) on summer phytoplankton in a mesotrophic lake were studied. Field experiments were performed in which phytoplankton were exposed to different densities of two major types of herbivorous zooplankton, cladocerans and copepods. Contrary to expectation, neither of the two zooplankton groups significantly reduced phytoplankton biomass. However, there were strong and contrasting impacts on phytoplankton size structure and on individual taxa. Cladocerans suppressed small phytoplankton, while copepods suppressed large phytoplankton. The unaffected size classes compensated for the loss of those affected by enhanced growth. After contamination of the copepod mesocosms with the cladoceran Daphnia, the combined impact of both zooplankton groups caused a decline in total phytoplankton biomass.

Description: In a mesocosm study, the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica bloomed after the reduction of copepod abundance, and in a second treatment showed a significantly negative correlation with copepod densities. Calculations, together with field data from the Baltic Sea, suggest that common calanoid copepods may control appendicularian population dynamics.

Description: An indoor mesocosm system was set up to study the response of phytoplankton and zooplankton spring succession to winter and spring warming of sea surface temperatures. The experimental temperature regimes consisted of the decadal average of the Kiel Bight, Baltic Sea, and three elevated regimes with 2°C, 4°C, and 6°C temperature difference from that at baseline. While the peak of the phytoplankton spring bloom was accelerated only weakly by increasing temperatures (1.4 days per degree Celsius), the subsequent biomass minimum of phytoplankton was accelerated more strongly (4.25 days per degree Celsius). Phytoplankton size structure showed a pronounced response to warming, with large phytoplankton being more dominant in the cooler mesocosms. The first seasonal ciliate peak was accelerated by 2.1 days per degree Celsius and the second one by 2.0 days per degree Celsius. The over-wintering copepod populations declined faster in the warmer mesocosm, and the appearance of nauplii was strongly accelerated by temperature (9.2 days per degree Celsius). The strong difference between the acceleration of the phytoplankton peak and the acceleration of the nauplii could be one of the “Achilles heels” of pelagic systems subject to climate change, because nauplii are the most starvation-sensitive life cycle stage of copepods and the most important food item of first-feeding fish larvae.

Description: A common elemental analyzer system connected to a temperature-controlled gas chromatography (GC) column and coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer was improved to decrease the determination limit for a simultaneous stable isotope ratio measurement of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The additional use of a special ashtray system to collect the combustion residuals permitted more time-efficient work. These modifications to the elemental analyzer allowed precise measurements to be made down to 1.5 µg nitrogen and 10 µg carbon for stable isotope analysis. Low system background values and an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio have made an additional blank correction for these low sample measurements unnecessary. We provide a precision of this stable isotope analysis for lowest amounts of 1.2–2 µg nitrogen with a standard deviation of ±0.496‰ (n = 27) and for 8.2–15 µg carbon with a standard deviation of ±0.257‰ (n = 31) across different sample runs under stipulated conditions. This application can be established in an automatic mode without cryofocusing procedures.

Description: Based on existing knowledge about phytoplankton responses to nutrients and food size spectra of herbivorous zooplankton, three different configurations of pelagic food webs are proposed for three different types of marine nutrient regimes: (1) upwelling systems, (2) oligotrophic oceanic systems, (3) eutrophicated coastal systems. Up-welling systems are characterised by high levels of plant nutrients and high ratios of Si to N and R. Phytoplankton consists mainly of diatoms together with a subdominant contribution of flagellates. Most phytoplankton falls into the food spectrum of herbivorous, crustacean zooplankton. Therefore, herbivorous crustaceans occupy trophic level 2 and zooplanktivorous fish occupy trophic level 3. Phytoplankton in oligotrophic, oceanic systems is dominated by picoplankton, which are too small to be ingested by copepods. Most primary production is channelled through the ‘microbial loop’ (picoplankton — heterotrophic nanoflagellates — ciliates). Sporadically, pelagic tunicates also consume a substantial proportion of primary production. Herbivorous crustaceans feed on heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates, thus occupying a food chain position between 3 and 4, which leads to a food chain position between 4 and 5 for zooplanktivorous fish. By cultural eutrophication, N and P availability are elevated while Si remains unaffected or even declines. Diatoms decrease in relative importance while summer blooms of inedible algae (Phaeocystis, toxic dinoflagellates, toxic prymnesiophyceae, etc.) prevail. The spring bloom may still contain a substantial contribution of diatoms. The production of the inedible algae enters the pelagic energy flow via the detritus food chain: DOC release by cell lysis — bacteria — heterotrophic nanoflagellates — ciliates. Accordingly, crustacean zooplankton occupy food chain position 4 to 5 during the non-diatom seasons. Ecological efficiency considerations lead to the conclusion that fish production:primary production ratios should be highest in upwelling systems and substantially lower in oligotrophic and in culturally eutrophicated systems. Further losses of fish production may occur when carnivorous, gelatinous zooplankton (jellyfish) replace fish.

Description: Selectivity-size spectra, clearance and ingestion rates and assimilation efficiencies of Acartia clausi (Copepoda), Penilia avirostris (Cladocera) and Doliolum denticulatum (Doliolida) from Blanes Bay (Catalan Sea, NW Mediterranean) were evaluated in grazing experiments over a wide range of food concentrations (0.02–8.8 mm3 L−1 plankton assemblages from Blanes Bay, grown in mesocosms at different nutrient levels). Acartia clausi reached the highest grazing coefficients for large algae 〉70 μm (longest linear extension), P. avirostris for intermediate food sizes between 15 and 70 μm, and D. denticulatum for small sizes from 2.5 to 15 μm. Penilia avirostris and D. denticulatum acted as passive filter-feeders. Acartia clausi gave some evidence for a supplementary raptorial feeding mode. Effective food concentration (EFC) decreased linearly with increasing nutrient enrichment for D. denticulatum and followed domed curves for A. clausi and for P. avirostris with maximum values at intermediate and high enrichment levels, respectively. Clearance rates of crustacean species showed curvilinear responses with narrow modal ranges to increasing food concentration. Clearance rates of D. denticulatum increased abruptly and levelled into a plateau at low food concentrations. Mean clearance rates were 13.9, 25.5 and 64.1 mL ind.−1 day−1, respectively. No clearance could be detected for A. clausi at food concentrations 〈0.1 mm3 L−1 and for P. avirostris at food concentrations ≤0.02 mm3 L−1. Ingestion rates indicate a rectilinear functional response for A. clausi and for P. avirostris and showed a sigmoidal curve for D. denticulatum. Mean ingestion rates were 1.3, 2.8 and 7.7 μg C μg Cind.−1 day−1, respectively. Conversion of ingested carbon to tissue was 30–80% for the investigated crustaceans and 20–50% for doliolids. Food niche calculations suggest that food niche separation may explain the coexistence of the three species in summer in Blanes Bay.

Description: We hypothesized that the trophic level of marine copepods should depend on the composition of the protist community. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated the phytoplankton composition in mesocosms and measured grazing rates of copepods and mesozooplankton in those mesocosms. Twelve mesocosms with Northeast Atlantic phytoplankton were fertilised with different Si:N ratios from 0:1 to 1:1. After 1 week, ten of the mesocosms were filled with natural densities of mesozooplankton, mainly calanoid copepods, while two remained as mesozooplankton-free controls. Both before and after the addition of copepods there was a positive correlation of diatom dominance with Si:N ratios. During the second phase of the experiment, copepod and microzooplankton grazing rates on different phytoplankton species were assessed by a modification of the Landry-Hassett dilution technique, where the bottles containing the different dilution treatments were replaced by dialysis bags incubated in situ. The results indicated no overlap in the food spectrum of microzooplankton (mainly ciliates) and copepods. Ciliates fed on nanoplankton, while copepods fed on large or chain-forming diatoms, naked dinoflagellates, and ciliates. The calculated trophic level of copepods showed a significantly negative but weak correlation with Si:N ratios. The strength of this response was strongly dependent on the trophic levels assumed for ciliates and mixotrophic dinoflagellates.

Description: Mesozooplankton communities in the mesooligotrophic Gulf of Aqaba, Northern Red Sea, were investigated over a 2 years period (2005-2007) with emphasis on the trophodynamic relations among different taxonomic groups ranging from primary consumers to carnivorous predators. Based on stable isotope analyses, we present evidence for a strong contribution of 'new' nitrogen mainly derived from the utilization of aerosol nitrate by unicellular cyanobacteria especially during summer stratification and the propagation of exceptionally low δ15N onto higher trophic levels. In contrast, N2-fixation by diazotrophs seemed to play a minor role, while the utilization of deep water nitrate by cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae might be of importance during winter mixing. Based on 15N enrichment of consumers, clear differences between exclusively herbivorous organisms (doliolids, appendicularians, pteropods) and those with omnivorous feeding modes were detected. The category of omnivores comprised a large variety of taxons ranging from small meroplanktonic larvae to non-calanoid copepods (harpacticoids, cyclopoids and poecilostomatoids) that together form a diverse and complex community with overlapping feeding modes. In addition, distinct seasonality patterns in δ15N of copepods were found showing elevated trophic positions during periods of winter mixing, which were most pronounced for non-calanoid copepods. In general, feeding modes of omnivores appeared rather unselective, and relative contributions of heterotrophic protists and degraded material to the diets of non-calanoid copepods are discussed. At elevated trophic positions, four groups of carnivore predators were identified, while calanoid copepods and meroplanktonic predators showing lowest 15N enrichment within the carnivores. The direct link between 'new' nitrogen utilization by primary producers and the 15N enrichment of consumers in the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Aqaba emphasizes the significant contribution of 'new' nitrogen to the nitrogen budget and ecosystem functions in subtropical and tropical oligotrophic oceans.

Description: A recent meta-analysis indicates that trophic cascades (indirect effects of predators on plants via herbivores) are weak in marine plankton in striking contrast to freshwater plankton (Shurin et al. 2002, Ecol. Lett., 5, 785–791). Here we show that in a marine plankton community consisting of jellyfish, calanoid copepods and algae, jellyfish predation consistently reduced copepods but produced two distinct, opposite responses of algal biomass. Calanoid copepods act as a switch between alternative trophic cascades along food chains of different length and with counteracting effects on algal biomass. Copepods reduced large algae but simultaneously promoted small algae by feeding on ciliates. The net effect of jellyfish on total algal biomass was positive when large algae were initially abundant in the phytoplankton, negative when small algae were dominant, but zero when experiments were analysed in combination. In contrast to marine systems, major pathways of energy flow in Daphnia-dominated freshwater systems are of similar chain length. Thus, differences in the length of alternative, parallel food chains may explain the apparent discrepancy in trophic cascade strength between freshwater and marine planktonic systems.

Description: The sudden occurrence of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi has been reported recently from different regions of the Baltic Sea and it has been suggested that the species has invaded the whole basin. Here we provide the first set of quantitative data of seasonal diet composition and life history traits of M. leidyi and its predatory role in the pelagic ecosystem of the Western Baltic Sea. The size structure of the species appeared to be dominated by small size classes and only a few adults were as large as those reported in the native region of the species and in other invaded areas. We show that the species has a high preference for small-sized and slow swimming prey, mainly during the winter low temperature period. Barnacle nauplii appeared to be the main source of carbon for the over-wintering population of M. leidyi. A preference for copepods was only found during August when these prey contributed up to 20% of the gut composition. In summer, planula larvae of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita were the most abundant prey in the gut content (feeding rate of 621 ind. ctenophore−1day−1). We further found that at highest densities of the species, in summer, a significant predation on its larvae occurs, this being the major carbon source of adults. Overall, these results are discussed in the context of trade-offs M. leidyi faces in the new environment and adverse environmental conditions, which are likely forcing the species toward reduced sizes and also probably reducing its potential predatory impact in the Baltic Sea.