Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: Our approach here is to examine potential ways that climate change may alter plankton communities \nof the GBR in the future, focusing on the physical mechanisms that currently drive plankton \nproductivity and composition. Many of the oceanographic and climatic features of the western Coral \nSea and GBR region and the ways in which they may be influenced by climate change are detailed \nin Steinberg (see chapter 3). Smaller members of the plankton such as the viruses and bacteria are \ncovered by Webster and Hill (see chapter 5). Key reef-associated organisms with planktonic life stages \nsuch as crown-of-thorns starfish, corals, fish and jellyfish, as well as the ecosystem-level responses \nsuch as their recruitment and patch connectivity, will be covered by Kingsford and Welch (see chapter \n18). Since there are no long time series of plankton data for waters of the GBR for assessing climaterelated \ntrends and their drivers, and few detailed studies in the laboratory or in the field, this review \nnecessarily draws on relevant knowledge from other ecosystems, tropical where possible, and others \nwhen required.
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W338745538