Observational approaches to community structure, from microbes to zooplankton : Report of breakout group microbes and zooplankton

Abstract

Knowledge about the structure (Table 1) and dynamics of plankton communities in the ocean is essential to understanding and predicting the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, e.g. regional variations in the draw down of CO2 from the atmosphere, effects of ocean acidification and warming on marine biota. Phytoplankton constitutes the base of most of the marine food web and provides about 50% of the global primary production. Zooplankton forms a critical link to higher trophic levels, such as fish and cetaceans.