Coastal mesozooplankton respond to decadal environmental changes via community restructuring

Created March 19, 2026

Updated on May 14, 2026

approved

Long-term ecological research has revealed the impact of climate on marine ecosystems at multiple time scales. Changes in the pelagic system have been detected at the LTER-MC site in the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean) since 1984. Here we analyzed the time series to determine whether zooplankton had significantly changed over the three decades 1984–2015. In addition to the seasonal cycle as the main mode of temporal variability, we observed long-term trends in the functional groups and species. Copepods, the most abundant group, declined over the years owing to a decrease in the abundance of Acartia clausi, Centropages typicus, the Paracalanus parvus complex, and Oithona spp. Increasing trends were observed for strict carnivores (chaetognaths) and typical filter feeders (cladocerans, appendicularians, and thaliaceans); the latter may be linked to a higher density of <5 μm phytoplankton. Two main temporal shifts were detected: (i) in 1985–87, similarly to the regime shifts registered in other basins of the Northern Hemisphere, and (ii) after 2011, likely related to local atmospheric forcing. The disappearance or decrease in some neritic copepods and the increased abundance of typical offshore species seem to reflect the enhanced influence of the open Tyrrhenian waters at the sampling site. Despite these changes, no significant trends were detected in the total zooplankton abundance and overall composition, which indicates restructuring within the whole community. These results underline the need to examine the entire zooplankton diversity spectrum and improve our knowledge of their ecological traits to detect and interpret long-term variability.

Tags:

Item URL

https://data.d4science.org/ctlg/ITINERIS-HUB/coastal_mesozooplankton_respond_to_decadal_environmental_changes_via_community_restructuring_

Basic

Language

English

MainTitle

Coastal mesozooplankton respond to decadal environmental changes via community restructuring

Original ids

https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12746

Research Infrastructure

eLTER

Type

publication

bestAccessRight

OPEN

contributors

Department of Integrative MarineEcology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn,Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
Research Infrastructures for MarineBiological Resources Department,Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, VillaComunale, 80121 Naples, Italy

countries

Italy

Creator/Author

Full name

Maria Grazia Mazzocchi, orcid: 0000-0001-5914-2933;
Iole Di Capua, orcid: 0000-0003-2959-8977;
Florian Kokoszka, orcid: 0000-0001-5346-3058;
Francesca Margiotta, orcid: 0000-0003-0757-5934;
Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalà, orcid: 0000-0002-5492-9961;
Diana Sarno;
Adriana Zingone, orcid: 0000-0001-5946-6532;
Priscilla Licandro, orcid: 0000-0001-6963-0068

Other

Description

Long‐term ecological research has revealed the impact of climate on marine ecosystems at multiple time scales. Changes in the pelagic system have been detected at the LTER‐MC site in the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean) since 1984. Here we analyzed the time series to determine whether zooplankton had significantly changed over the three decades 1984–2015. In addition to the seasonal cycle as the main mode of temporal variability, we observed long‐term trends in the functional groups and species. Copepods, the most abundant group, declined over the years owing to a decrease in the abundance of Acartia clausi, Centropages typicus, the Paracalanus parvus complex, and Oithona spp. Increasing trends were observed for strict carnivores (chaetognaths) and typical filter feeders (cladocerans, appendicularians, and thaliaceans); the latter may be linked to a higher density of <5 μm phytoplankton. Two main temporal shifts were detected: (i) in 1985–87, similarly to the regime shifts registered in other basins of the Northern Hemisphere, and (ii) after 2011, likely related to local atmospheric forcing. The disappearance or decrease in some neritic copepods and the increased abundance of typical offshore species seem to reflect the enhanced influence of the open Tyrrhenian waters at the sampling site. Despite these changes, no significant trends were detected in the total zooplankton abundance and overall composition, which indicates restructuring within the whole community. These results underline the need to examine the entire zooplankton diversity spectrum and improve our knowledge of their ecological traits to detect and interpret long‐term variability.

Publication Date

2023-04-24

Publisher

Wiley

Subjects

0106 biological sciences;
13. Climate action;
Diversity, Gulf of Naples, LTER, Shift, Trends, Zooplankton, Long-term changes, Cladoceran Penilia avirostris, Western English Channel, Time-series, Mediterranean Sea, Climate change, Zooplankton abundance, Temporal variability, Plankton communities, Centropages typicus;
14. Life underwater;
01 natural sciences;
0105 earth and related environmental sciences

isGreen

false

isInDiamondJournal

false

Software

Publication

Name

Marine Ecology

Publication

Article

issnOnline

1439-0485

issnPrinted

0173-9565

vol

Other Research Product

Detailed informations

system:type

Research Product

Management Info

Author

Catalogue Manager ITINERIS

Version

Last Updated

May 14, 2026, 14:31 (UTC)

Created

March 19, 2026, 00:29 (UTC)

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