Climate Impacts on Zooplankton Population Dynamics in Coastal Marine Ecosystems

Authors

Harold P. Batchelder, Oregon State University
Kendra L. Daly, University of South FloridaFollow
Cabell S. Davis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Rubao Ji, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Mark D. Ohman, University of California - San Diego
William T. Peterson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Jeffrey A. Runge, University of Maine

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2013

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.74

Abstract

The 20-year US GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics) program examined zooplankton populations and their predators in four coastal marine ecosystems. Program scientists learned that environmental controls on zooplankton vital rates, especially the timing and magnitude of reproduction, growth, life-cycle progression, and mortality, determine species population dynamics, seasonal and spatial distributions, and abundances. Improved knowledge of spatial-temporal abundance and distribution of individual zooplankton taxa coupled with new information linking higher trophic level predators (salmon, cod, haddock, penguins, seals) to their prey yielded mechanistic descriptions of how climate variation impacts regionally important marine resources. Coupled ecological models driven by improved regional-scale climate scenario models developed during GLOBEC enable forecasts of plausible future conditions in coastal ecosystems, and will aid and inform decision makers and communities as they assess, respond, and adapt to the effects of environmental change. Multi-region synthesis revealed that conditions in winter, before upwelling, or seasonal stratification, or ice melt (depending on region) had significant and important effects that primed the systems for greater zooplankton population abundance and productivity the following spring-summer, with effects that propagated to higher trophic levels.

Rights Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Oceanography, v. 26, issue 4, p. 34-51

Scholar Commons Citation

Batchelder, Harold P.; Daly, Kendra L.; Davis, Cabell S.; Ji, Rubao; Ohman, Mark D.; Peterson, William T.; and Runge, Jeffrey A., "Climate Impacts on Zooplankton Population Dynamics in Coastal Marine Ecosystems" (2013). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 869.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/869