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Article

Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean

by
Rouxin Sun
,
Yanghang Chen
,
Yanyan Yang
,
Xiuwu Sun
,
Peng Xiang
,
Chunguang Wang
,
Bingpeng Xing
* and
Yanguo Wang
*
Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Ecologies 2026, 7(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036
Submission received: 18 March 2026 / Revised: 14 April 2026 / Accepted: 15 April 2026 / Published: 16 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Community Ecology: Interactions, Dynamics, and Diversity)
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Abstract

This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of zooplankton communities in the tropical low-latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean based on field surveys conducted in August 2021 and November 2022. Redundancy analysis identified nitrate, silicate, temperature, and salinity as the primary factors influencing community structure. The distribution of dominant zooplankton groups exhibited close correlations with key environmental gradients, showing distinct habitat preferences corresponding to different hydrographic conditions. Zooplankton abundance in August 2021 was significantly higher than that in November 2022, which is presumably attributed to eddy-induced nutrient upwelling and enhanced primary productivity. Comparisons with adjacent marine regions reveal general consistency in overall zooplankton abundance and community species composition, while the observed seasonal discrepancies are closely associated with local unique hydrographic characteristics. These results highlight the role of nutrient–temperature–salinity interactions in structuring zooplankton communities and underscore their sensitivity to environmental variability. The findings provide a scientific basis for understanding pelagic ecosystem dynamics in oligotrophic waters and for developing management strategies under changing climate and oceanographic conditions.
Keywords: zooplankton community structure; environmental drivers; tropical low-latitude Northwest Pacific Ocean; oligotrophic ecosystem zooplankton community structure; environmental drivers; tropical low-latitude Northwest Pacific Ocean; oligotrophic ecosystem
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MDPI and ACS Style

Sun, R.; Chen, Y.; Yang, Y.; Sun, X.; Xiang, P.; Wang, C.; Xing, B.; Wang, Y. Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Ecologies 2026, 7, 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036

AMA Style

Sun R, Chen Y, Yang Y, Sun X, Xiang P, Wang C, Xing B, Wang Y. Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Ecologies. 2026; 7(2):36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sun, Rouxin, Yanghang Chen, Yanyan Yang, Xiuwu Sun, Peng Xiang, Chunguang Wang, Bingpeng Xing, and Yanguo Wang. 2026. "Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean" Ecologies 7, no. 2: 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036

APA Style

Sun, R., Chen, Y., Yang, Y., Sun, X., Xiang, P., Wang, C., Xing, B., & Wang, Y. (2026). Environmental Drivers of Zooplankton Communities in the Tropical Low-Latitude Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Ecologies, 7(2), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies7020036

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