This study investigates the impact of climate change on zooplankton communities and their implications for marine food webs. Using a trait-based marine ecosystem model, the researchers found that future oceans, particularly in tropical regions, will favor carnivorous and gelatinous filter-feeding zooplankton over omnivorous copepods and euphausiids. While the rise of gelatinous filter feeders partially offsets energy loss, future fish communities will experience reduced carrying capacity and less nutritious food, exacerbating projected declines in small pelagic fish biomass in tropical regions by 2100.

Ryan F. Heneghan, Jason D. Everett, Julia L. Blanchard, Patrick Sykes, Anthony J. Richardson