Long-term oscillations in the normalized biomass-size spectrum reveal the impact of oligotrophication on zooplankton trophic structure in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

Abstract

Ocean warming of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (NASG) induced oligotrophication and a decrease in integrated net primary production during the 2010s, potentially affecting higher trophic levels. We analyzed long-term records (1994–2019) of daytime and nighttime zooplankton biomass in five size classes from the NASG. Daytime biomass decreased in the three largest size classes during the 2010s, while decrease in nighttime biomass was less evident due to the relative stability in diel vertical migrator biomass. We used the normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS) to estimate the relative transfer efficiency between trophic levels. The steepness of the NBSS slope at the end of the time series increased by 14% (daytime) and 24% (nighttime) from the maximum observed annual average values (2011 and 2009, respectively). This suggests oligotrophication during the 2010s led to a significant reduction in the transfer of biomass across trophic levels, with negative impacts on the NASG planktonic food web.