Plankton indicators

At the base of the marine food web, plankton are excellent indicators of ecosystem change. The UK and OSPAR Changes in Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Communities indicator quantifies change in time-series of both a plankton and environmental data to identify and understand changes in plankton community dynamics. This indicator measures the functional diversity in the plankton community, through examining the abundance of groups of plankton that share a similar functional role within their environment.

By considering the functionality of plankton groups, rather than the abundance of individual species, we can identify important changes in the plankton which impact other components of the food web. The outputs of this indicator help scientists and policymakers further their understanding of how the base of the marine food web is changing in response to human pressures.