Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems
Abstract Marine heatwaves have attracted great attention for their devastating impacts on marine organisms. However, the influence of marine heatwaves on phytoplankton community structure, a key aspect of pelagic ecosystems, remains elusive, especially in the biologically productive eastern boundary...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01805-w |
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| author | Weikang Zhan Ming Feng Ying Zhang Xinchen Shen Haigang Zhan Qingyou He |
| author_facet | Weikang Zhan Ming Feng Ying Zhang Xinchen Shen Haigang Zhan Qingyou He |
| author_sort | Weikang Zhan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Marine heatwaves have attracted great attention for their devastating impacts on marine organisms. However, the influence of marine heatwaves on phytoplankton community structure, a key aspect of pelagic ecosystems, remains elusive, especially in the biologically productive eastern boundary upwelling systems. Here, using a combination of multi-satellite observations and model outputs, we discover that phytoplankton in these upwelling systems exhibit not only a marked reduction in biomass (~50%), but also a significant shift toward smaller species in community structures during marine heatwaves, featuring a substantially increased/decreased dominance in picophytoplankton/microphytoplankton. This change in community structure is positively related to the intensity and duration of marine heatwaves, and is likely a result of community competition under reduced nutrient supply due to weakened coastal upwelling associated with poleward wind anomalies. These findings invite us to rethink the dominance of phytoplankton in the eastern boundary upwelling systems under extreme conditions, and may have important implications for local fisheries and carbon cycle under the ongoing warming. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c004f6c5ce347bd952f76c9289875fe |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c004f6c5ce347bd952f76c9289875fe2025-08-20T02:11:50ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-10-015111110.1038/s43247-024-01805-wReduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systemsWeikang Zhan0Ming Feng1Ying Zhang2Xinchen Shen3Haigang Zhan4Qingyou He5State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCSIRO EnvironmentState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Marine heatwaves have attracted great attention for their devastating impacts on marine organisms. However, the influence of marine heatwaves on phytoplankton community structure, a key aspect of pelagic ecosystems, remains elusive, especially in the biologically productive eastern boundary upwelling systems. Here, using a combination of multi-satellite observations and model outputs, we discover that phytoplankton in these upwelling systems exhibit not only a marked reduction in biomass (~50%), but also a significant shift toward smaller species in community structures during marine heatwaves, featuring a substantially increased/decreased dominance in picophytoplankton/microphytoplankton. This change in community structure is positively related to the intensity and duration of marine heatwaves, and is likely a result of community competition under reduced nutrient supply due to weakened coastal upwelling associated with poleward wind anomalies. These findings invite us to rethink the dominance of phytoplankton in the eastern boundary upwelling systems under extreme conditions, and may have important implications for local fisheries and carbon cycle under the ongoing warming.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01805-w |
| spellingShingle | Weikang Zhan Ming Feng Ying Zhang Xinchen Shen Haigang Zhan Qingyou He Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| title_full | Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| title_fullStr | Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| title_short | Reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| title_sort | reduced and smaller phytoplankton during marine heatwaves in eastern boundary upwelling systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01805-w |
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