Responses of Gulf of Alaska plankton communities to a marine heat wave

Time series of phytoplankton and zooplankton collected from the shelf and oceanic northern Gulf of Alaska from 2000 to 2018 are examined to describe changes in abundance and composition that occurred during the 2014-2016 marine heat wave (MHW). Zooplankton abundances were very high on the shelf during the MHW, particularly copepods and pteropods, while large diatoms were very low. Community Temperature Indices (CTI) were derived and showed significant, positive correlations with temperature for both trophic levels on the shelf and in the deep ocean. While no common taxa disappeared from the communities, there were changes in relative abundance that contributed to the increase in CTI. Additionally, some rarer taxa were not found during or after the MHW, and fewer new taxa appeared with its onset. There is thus evidence for a change in ecosystem functioning in the lower trophic levels with the northeast Pacific MHW bringing; lower plankton taxonomic richness, a bias towards species that prefer warm conditions, increased effects down the food chain, likely exerted by changes in forage fish, and uncertainty in data from 2017 to 2018 as to whether plankton metrics had, or would, return to pre-MHW values.

Automated summary

This study examined the changes in abundance and composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton during the 2014-2016 marine heat wave in the northern Gulf of Alaska. The results showed that zooplankton abundances were high, particularly copepods and pteropods, while large diatoms were low during the heat wave. Community Temperature Indices (CTI) were positively correlated with temperature for both trophic levels. Some rarer taxa disappeared and fewer new taxa appeared during and after the heat wave.