This study investigates the impact of declining sea ice extent on plankton biodiversity and carbon cycling in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Using a 5-year dataset of eukaryotic plankton DNA metabarcoding, the researchers found that sea-ice extent is a dominant factor influencing plankton community composition, biodiversity, and net community production (NCP). Species richness and evenness decline with increasing sea surface temperature (SST). A machine-learning model explained up to 80% of NCP variability, with sea-ice-associated plankton assemblages being the best predictor. The study concludes that eukaryotic plankton diversity and carbon cycling in the WAP are strongly linked to sea-ice conditions.

Yajuan Lin, Carly Moreno, Adrian Marchetti, Hugh Ducklow, Oscar Schofield, Erwan Delage, Michael Meredith, Zuchuan Li, Damien Eveillard, Samuel Chaffron, Nicolas Cassar