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Decline in plankton diversity and carbon flux with reduced sea ice extent along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Earth Sciences

Decline in plankton diversity and carbon flux with reduced sea ice extent along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Y. Lin, C. Moreno, et al.

This exciting study by Yajuan Lin and colleagues unveils how declining sea ice extent dramatically influences plankton biodiversity and carbon cycling in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Discover how rising sea surface temperatures are linked to biodiversity loss and how machine learning predicts plankton community shifts with 80% accuracy, shedding light on our changing oceans!

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Playback language: English
Abstract
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.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Aug 16, 2021
Authors
Yajuan Lin, Carly Moreno, Adrian Marchetti, Hugh Ducklow, Oscar Schofield, Erwan Delage, Michael Meredith, Zuchuan Li, Damien Eveillard, Samuel Chaffron, Nicolas Cassar
Tags
plankton biodiversity
sea ice extent
carbon cycling
Western Antarctic Peninsula
eukaryotic plankton
sea surface temperature
NCP variability

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