Patterns in the plankton – Spatial distribution and long-term variability of copepods on the Agulhas Bank

Huggett, Jenny A.; Noyon, Margaux; Carstensen, Jacob; Walker, David

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2023.105265

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The dominance of nanoplankton biomass on the AB shelf ecosystem is comparable to other shelf regions. A similar shift in the community from the larger phytoplankton to the smaller phytoplankton was also indicated by Huggett et al (2023). On the AB, where there has been a scarcity of in-situ sampling of the plankton community, shifts in size structure may have severe implications for the ecosystems supported by AB productivity and there is an urgent need for further studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Alternatively, nanoplankton dominance on the AB in autumn may be linked to the importance of grazing in controlling community composition. Indeed, a strong link between NPP and secondary production was observed in autumn 2019 , and an importance of microzooplankton as active grazers and agents of trophic transfer on the bank has been highlighted before (Huggett et al, 2023). Globally, ~64% of phytoplankton daily primary production is grazed by micro-zooplankton, with the smaller pico-and nanoplankton readily grazed by planktonic ciliates, heterotrophic flagellates, and small zooplankton .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phytoplankton may be split into different size categories : picoplankton (cell diameters 0.2-2 µm), nanoplankton (2-20 µm) and microplankton (>20 µm). The small cell diameters of pico-and nano-plankton are not grazed by meso-zooplankton (>200 µm) (Huggett et al, 2023, and instead are predated by micro-zooplankton (20-200 µm) who then may be grazed by larger zooplankton.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nanoplankton dominate autumn biomass on the Agulhas Bank

Mazwane,

Poulton,

Noyon

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Autumn productivity is key to the large marine ecosystems of the Agulhas Bank, which support numerous economically important regional fisheries. Despite such importance, data is sparce on plankton composition in terms of primary or secondary producers, or on trophic transfer. While investigating autumn plankton composition we found that nanophytoplankton (2-20 µm) dominated carbon stocks, with lower contributions from picophytoplankton (<2 µm) and microphytoplankton (>20 µm). While picoplankton biomass exhibited a relationship with warm nutrient poor waters, nanoplankton showed no clear relationship to environmental parameters. The dominance of nanophytoplankton biomass on the Agulhas Bank highlights a critical role for micro-zooplankton grazing as a trophic transfer between these small plankton, meso-zooplankton and the higher trophic levels that make the bank so important for regional fisheries. Outside of localized coastal upwelling on the Agulhas Bank, this study highlights a significant role for nanoplankton and micro-zooplankton in supporting the bank’s large marine ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nanoplankton dominate autumn biomass on the Agulhas Bank

Mazwane,

Poulton,

Noyon

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Unique Southern African Terrestrial and Oceanic Biomes and Their Relation to Steep Environmental Gradients

Sell,

von Maltitz,

Auel

et al. 2024

Ecological Studies

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The southern African subcontinent and its surrounding oceans accommodate globally unique ecoregions, characterized by exceptional biodiversity and endemism. This diversity is shaped by extended and steep physical gradients or environmental discontinuities found in both ocean and terrestrial biomes. The region’s biodiversity has historically been the basis of life for indigenous cultures and continues to support countless economic activities, many of them unsustainable, ranging from natural resource exploitation, an extensive fisheries industry and various forms of land use to nature-based tourism.Being at the continent’s southern tip, terrestrial species have limited opportunities for adaptive range shifts under climate change, while warming is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Marine climate change effects are complex, as warming may strengthen thermal stratification, while shifts in regional wind regimes influence ocean currents and the intensity of nutrient-enriching upwelling.The flora and fauna of marine and terrestrial southern African biomes are of vital importance for global biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. They thus deserve special attention in further research on the impacts of anthropogenic pressures including climate change. Excellent preconditions exist in the form of long-term data sets of high quality to support scientific advice for future sustainable management of these vulnerable biomes.

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