Effects of Prorocentrum donghaiense bloom on zooplankton functional groups in the coastal waters of the East China Sea

Abstract

Blooms of the non-toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense are common in the East China Sea; however, the in situ impacts of these blooms on zooplankton community functions have not yet been conducted in this area. Using functional trait-based methods, we found that P. donghaiense bloom significantly changed the zooplankton community structure and functions in the coastal water of the East China Sea. Zooplankton species richness and biodiversity increased after the bloom. Based on body length, feeding type, trophic group and reproductive mode, we categorized zooplankton into four functional groups and characterized their dynamics. Before and after the bloom, the zooplankton community was dominated by herbivorous- and free-spawner- lineages represented by copepods and tunicates, while during the bloom, the zooplankton community was dominated by carnivorous- and egg-brooding- lineages represented by small jellyfish, chaetognaths and copepods.