Lead institution:
Institute of Marine Research (Norway) – Norway
Coastal waters, among the most productive marine ecosystems, face climate change stressors like ocean warming and browning, with uncertain ecological implications. These stressors impact planktonic communities, which respond quickly to environmental changes due to their short life cycles. Changes in plankton communities could alter prey availability for planktivore predators, affecting energy transfer in the pelagic food web.
In PELAGIC, the study explores how ocean temperature and water clarity influence plankton size-structure, dynamics, and the competitive interactions between visual and tactile planktivore predators. This research aims to improve our understanding of how climate change affects prey quality for pelagic fish (e.g., herring, sprat, mackerel) and the potential for ecological shifts in deteriorating optical foraging conditions.
Start Date: 07/01/2023
End Date: 07/01/2027
Lead Contact: Frode Vikebø (frode.vikebo@hi.no)