Species and Functional Diversity of Marine Plankton Communities Under Climate Change

Dear Colleagues,

Marine plankton communities play a central role in regulating global biogeochemical cycles, sustaining marine food webs and driving ecosystem productivity. However, their species and functional diversity are increasingly threatened by climate change and intensifying human activities. In particular, large-scale climate variability, as well as shorter-term extreme events, can significantly reshape plankton community composition, alter trophic interactions and modify ecosystem functions. Moreover, anthropogenic pressures such as eutrophication, overfishing and pollution further exacerbate these impacts, creating complex and often synergistic stressors.

This Special Issue invites contributions that advance our understanding of how marine plankton communities respond to climate change and human disturbances across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We welcome studies integrating field observations, experiments, remote sensing and modeling, with a focus on both the diversity of species and functional traits. By synthesizing insights across disciplines, this collection aims to improve predictions of marine ecosystem resilience and inform conservation and management strategies in a rapidly changing ocean.

Dr. Jiaxing Liu
Dr. Jiajun Li
Guest Editors

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