Articles | Volume 21, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024
Research article
 | 
13 Dec 2024
Research article |  | 13 Dec 2024

Phytoplankton adaptation to steady or changing environments affects marine ecosystem functioning

Isabell Hochfeld and Jana Hinners

Related authors

Ideas and perspectives: How sediment archives can improve model projections of marine ecosystem change
Isabell Hochfeld, Ben A. Ward, Anke Kremp, Juliane Romahn, Alexandra Schmidt, Miklós Bálint, Lutz Becks, Jérôme Kaiser, Helge W. Arz, Sarah Bolius, Laura S. Epp, Markus Pfenninger, Christopher A. Klausmeier, Elena Litchman, and Jana Hinners
Biogeosciences, 22, 2363–2380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025, 2025
Short summary

Related subject area

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Marine
Ideas and perspectives: How sediment archives can improve model projections of marine ecosystem change
Isabell Hochfeld, Ben A. Ward, Anke Kremp, Juliane Romahn, Alexandra Schmidt, Miklós Bálint, Lutz Becks, Jérôme Kaiser, Helge W. Arz, Sarah Bolius, Laura S. Epp, Markus Pfenninger, Christopher A. Klausmeier, Elena Litchman, and Jana Hinners
Biogeosciences, 22, 2363–2380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025, 2025
Short summary
Multispecies expression of coccolithophore vital effects with changing CO2 concentrations and pH in the laboratory with insights for reconstructing CO2 levels in geological history
Goulwen Le Guevel, Fabrice Minoletti, Carla Geisen, Gwendoline Duong, Virginia Rojas, and Michaël Hermoso
Biogeosciences, 22, 2287–2308, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2287-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2287-2025, 2025
Short summary
The distribution and abundance of planktonic foraminifera under summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean
Flor Vermassen, Clare Bird, Tirza M. Weitkamp, Kate F. Darling, Hanna Farnelid, Céline Heuzé, Allison Y. Hsiang, Salar Karam, Christian Stranne, Marcus Sundbom, and Helen K. Coxall
Biogeosciences, 22, 2261–2286, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2261-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2261-2025, 2025
Short summary
Biological response of eelgrass epifauna, Taylor's Sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), to elevated ocean alkalinity
Kristin Jones, Lenaïg G. Hemery, Nicholas D. Ward, Peter J. Regier, Mallory C. Ringham, and Matthew D. Eisaman
Biogeosciences, 22, 1615–1630, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1615-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1615-2025, 2025
Short summary
Including the invisible: deep depth-integrated chlorophyll estimates from remote sensing may assist in identifying biologically important areas in oligotrophic coastal margins
Renée P. Schoeman, Christine Erbe, and Robert D. McCauley
Biogeosciences, 22, 959–974, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-959-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-959-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Aberle, N., Bauer, B., Lewandowska, A., Gaedke, U., and Sommer, U.: Warming induces shifts in microzooplankton phenology and reduces time-lags between phytoplankton and protozoan production, Mar. Biol., 159, 2441–2453, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1947-0, 2012. 
Acevedo-Trejos, E., Marañón, E., and Merico, A.: Phytoplankton size diversity and ecosystem function relationships across oceanic regions, Proc. Roy. Soc. B, 285, 20180621, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0621, 2018. 
Adrian, R., Wilhelm, S., and Gerten, D.: Life-history traits of lake plankton species may govern their phenological response to climate warming, Glob. Change Biol., 12, 652–661, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01125.x, 2006. 
Almén, A.-K. and Tamelander, T.: Temperature-related timing of the spring bloom and match between phytoplankton and zooplankton, Mar. Biol. Res., 16, 674–682, https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2020.1846201, 2020. 
Asch, R. G., Stock, C. A., and Sarmiento, J. L.: Climate change impacts on mismatches between phytoplankton blooms and fish spawning phenology, Glob. Change Biol., 25, 2544–2559, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14650, 2019. 
Download
Short summary
Ecosystem models disagree on future changes in marine ecosystem functioning. We suspect that the lack of phytoplankton adaptation represents a major uncertainty factor, given the key role that phytoplankton play in marine ecosystems. Using an evolutionary ecosystem model, we found that phytoplankton adaptation can notably change simulated ecosystem dynamics. Future models should include phytoplankton adaptation; otherwise they can systematically overestimate future ecosystem-level changes.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint