Zooplankton are a pivotal component of the pelagic community, and their abundance and distribution are often strongly dependent on environmental conditions at sea. However, climate change can pose significant challenges to planktonic organisms. Therefore, in this study, we tried to address the possible effect of short-term climatic anomalies on the zooplankton community in the North Adriatic Sea, comparing mesozooplankton composition in June between two years with very different temperature and rainfall levels, i.e., 2019 and 2022. Environmental conditions at sea were significantly different, since 2022 faced rising temperatures in the northern part of the area and higher salinity and lower chlorophyll values in coastal samples. Our data unveiled a community shift, from a Noctiluca-dominated community to a crustacean-dominated one, and revealed that even offshore areas can be subject to changes, despite having quite stable environmental parameters. Our findings confirmed the influence of river inputs and temperature on the Adriatic community’s distribution and composition, highlighting how climate-driven changes could have unpredictable effects on the whole Adriatic ecosystem. Indeed, each species has its own role in ecosystemfunctioning and climatic anomalies could uncouple the fine-scale connections that make up the pelagic trophic web.

Interannual Variation in the Zooplankton Community of the North Adriatic Sea under Short-Term Climatic Anomalies

Samuele Menicucci
Primo
;
Andrea De Felice;Ilaria Biagiotti;Giovanni Canduci;Ilaria Costantini;Antonio Palermino;Michele Centurelli;Iole Leonori
Ultimo
2024

Abstract

Zooplankton are a pivotal component of the pelagic community, and their abundance and distribution are often strongly dependent on environmental conditions at sea. However, climate change can pose significant challenges to planktonic organisms. Therefore, in this study, we tried to address the possible effect of short-term climatic anomalies on the zooplankton community in the North Adriatic Sea, comparing mesozooplankton composition in June between two years with very different temperature and rainfall levels, i.e., 2019 and 2022. Environmental conditions at sea were significantly different, since 2022 faced rising temperatures in the northern part of the area and higher salinity and lower chlorophyll values in coastal samples. Our data unveiled a community shift, from a Noctiluca-dominated community to a crustacean-dominated one, and revealed that even offshore areas can be subject to changes, despite having quite stable environmental parameters. Our findings confirmed the influence of river inputs and temperature on the Adriatic community’s distribution and composition, highlighting how climate-driven changes could have unpredictable effects on the whole Adriatic ecosystem. Indeed, each species has its own role in ecosystemfunctioning and climatic anomalies could uncouple the fine-scale connections that make up the pelagic trophic web.
2024
Istituto per le Risorse Biologiche e le Biotecnologie Marine - IRBIM - Sede Secondaria Ancona
Adriatic Sea; zooplankton; climate change; MEDIAS; ecology; copepods; cladocerans; Noctiluca scintillans
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/470801
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