Phytoplankton Communities and Their Microbial Associates Under Climate Change and Anthropogenic Pressures
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Diversity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 600
Special Issue Editors
Interests: harmful algal blooms; diversity of dinoflagellates and their cysts; taxonomy of dinoflagellate
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: harmful algal blooms; molecular ecology of dinoflagellates; microbiomes of dinoflagellates
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phytoplankton, as the primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity. However, in recent decades, climate change, characterized by unprecedented increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global temperatures, has profoundly impacted the diversity and distribution of marine phytoplankton. These environmental alterations have led to significant shifts in species composition, with small-sized species, particularly those causing harmful algal blooms (HABs), becoming increasingly dominant in coastal and estuarine waters across the globe. The frequency, intensity, and duration of HABs have risen alarmingly, posing severe health risks to wildlife and humans, exacerbating ecological disasters, and resulting in considerable economic losses.
To develop effective management strategies, it is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these changes. Various bacteria and fungi are intricately involved in the formation and decline of HABs, yet their interactions with phytoplankton and their responses to environmental perturbations remain incompletely elucidated. Metabarcoding, an advanced molecular technique, has emerged as a powerful tool to investigate the species diversity of phytoplankton and their associated microbiomes, providing novel insights into these complex ecological interactions.
This Special Issue invites submissions of manuscripts that delve deeper into the diversity of phytoplankton species, the mechanisms underpinning HAB formation and decline, and the role of microbiomes in these processes. We warmly welcome manuscripts that employ innovative methodologies to explore the responses of phytoplankton and their microbiomes to climate change, illuminating the resilience and vulnerability of these ecosystems in the context of global environmental change. By sharing pioneering research and insights, we aim to foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.
Dr. Zhangxi Hu
Dr. Yunyan Deng
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- marine phytoplankton
- harmful algal blooms (HABs)
- microbiome interactions
- ecosystem resilience
- metabarcoding
- anthropogenic pressures
- climate change
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