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Ecology and Dynamics of Marine Plankton
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Ecology and Dynamics of Marine Plankton

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 2399

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qian Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
Interests: ocean biogeochemistry; coastal oceanography under global change
Dr. Vittoria Roncalli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
Interests: marine zooplankton ecology; molecular ecology; transcriptomics; metatranscriptomics; diapause; plankton community ecology; Copepoda
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue features high-quality research papers focusing on marine plankton in coastal oceans. We aim to highlight the vital roles these tiny organisms play in maintaining ocean health and ecosystem balance. Each study included in this issue will enhance our understanding of how marine plankton contribute to nutrient cycles, support food webs, and adapt to environmental challenges such as eutrophication, pollution, acidification, and climate change. Together, these insights will be crucial for the future of coastal ocean ecosystems.

We invite contributions on a broad spectrum of relevant topics, including but not limited to the following: (1) the spatial organization of phytoplankton populations and their relationships with environmental factors; (2) how biotic interactions (e.g., competition, predation) influence plankton community composition and structure over time; (3) the dynamics of zooplankton populations, focusing on gene flow, larval dispersal, and their roles in community resilience and adaptation; (4) evolutionary adaptations of plankton species to environmental changes (e.g., climate change, nutrient availability, ocean acidification) and their impacts on biogeographical distributions; (5) plankton’s role in coastal biogeochemical cycles, particularly in carbon fixation and nutrient regeneration; and (6) integrative studies using models to explore the mechanisms underlying plankton community diversity, stability, and functionality.

Prof. Dr. Qian Li
Dr. Vittoria Roncalli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

  • coastal plankton
  • environmental change
  • biotic interactions within plankton
  • gene flow
  • larval dispersal
  • evolutionary adaption
  • biogeochemical cycles
  • planktonic ecosystem models

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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23 pages, 9077 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Variations of Phytoplankton Groups and Their Relationships with Mesoscale Eddies in the Northwest Pacific
by Jian Wen, Pengchao Jin, Lichuan Zhang, Xinjun Chen, Yang Zhang and Wei Yu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(9), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14090789 - 25 Apr 2026
Viewed by 322
Abstract
The complex ocean dynamics in the Northwest Pacific high-seas fishing grounds shape phytoplankton communities, which serve as the foundation for commercially pelagic species. This study investigates how mesoscale eddies modulate phytoplankton groups’ structures by analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of eight phytoplankton functional types [...] Read more.
The complex ocean dynamics in the Northwest Pacific high-seas fishing grounds shape phytoplankton communities, which serve as the foundation for commercially pelagic species. This study investigates how mesoscale eddies modulate phytoplankton groups’ structures by analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of eight phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) from 2014 to 2023. Utilizing high-resolution AI-driven model data (AIGD-PFT) and a normalized radial distance grid (0–2 R), we quantified PFTs concentrations within cyclonic (CE) and anticyclonic (AE) eddies, validated by Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) and in situ measurements. Results reveal that diatoms and dinoflagellates dominate the region, accounting for 88.7% of phytoplankton with distinct seasonal peaks in spring and autumn, respectively. CE significantly enhance diatom and dinoflagellate concentration, particularly within the 0.4 R–1.2 R dynamic ring, while AE favor the aggregation of picophytoplankton, such as Prochlorococcus, in mid-to-low latitudes. Correlation analysis indicates that diatom abundance is strongly linked to dissolved oxygen and negatively correlated with sea surface height. We conclude that mesoscale eddies drive the spatial remodeling of phytoplankton communities by altering local physical and nutrient conditions. These findings provide a critical ecological context for assessing the habitat distribution and sustainable management of North Pacific fisheries across different trophic levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Dynamics of Marine Plankton)
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18 pages, 4872 KB  
Article
Seasonal Temperature and Nutrient Fluctuations Reshape Phytoplankton Assembly and Network Vulnerability in a Coastal Ecosystem
by Haolei Shi, Jiantao Cao, Fajin Chen, Peng Wang and Guodong Jia
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(8), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14080704 - 10 Apr 2026
Viewed by 429
Abstract
Temperature and nutrient availability are pivotal drivers of coastal phytoplankton dynamics; however, how they regulate the interplay between community assembly and ecological network stability remains less explored. In this study, we integrated 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing with molecular ecological network analysis and the [...] Read more.
Temperature and nutrient availability are pivotal drivers of coastal phytoplankton dynamics; however, how they regulate the interplay between community assembly and ecological network stability remains less explored. In this study, we integrated 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing with molecular ecological network analysis and the iCAMP model to investigate the seasonal succession and driving mechanisms of phytoplankton in a coastal region (Qiongdong) of the South China Sea. Our results suggest that water temperature is a key factor influencing community succession. However, rather than following a linear response to temperature rise, the molecular ecological network exhibited a significant network contraction in spring, characterized by minimized complexity and peak vulnerability. This structural shift coincided with a transition in nutrient limitation (from phosphorus to nitrogen) induced by spring upwelling. Assembly process analysis revealed that while stochastic processes dominated overall community construction, a notable increase in dispersal limitation occurred in spring. The intensification of dispersal limitation driven by changes in the nutritional structure may be the main cause of network simplification and reduced stability. In conclusion, our findings highlight that while temperature affects the seasonal replacement of phytoplankton species, nutrient-induced shifts in assembly mechanisms degrade ecological network integrity in coastal environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Dynamics of Marine Plankton)
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19 pages, 1969 KB  
Brief Report
Expanding the Zooplankton Inventory of the Levantine Basin: Novel Taxa and First Records from South Lebanon
by Yann Toso, Lara Marastella Fumarola, Andrea Toso, Marco Anglano, Ranim Tahhan, Michel Bariche, Daniele Arduini, Stefano Piraino and Genuario Belmonte
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(11), 2104; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13112104 - 5 Nov 2025
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Abstract
The Levantine Basin is the first region of the Mediterranean Sea to be impacted by climate warming and the arrival of non-indigenous species (NIS) via the Suez Canal. Although Levantine zooplankton has been studied previously, recent datasets capable of detecting the occurrence of [...] Read more.
The Levantine Basin is the first region of the Mediterranean Sea to be impacted by climate warming and the arrival of non-indigenous species (NIS) via the Suez Canal. Although Levantine zooplankton has been studied previously, recent datasets capable of detecting the occurrence of new taxa, or shifts in community composition, especially in the easternmost part of the basin, are lacking. The present study provides updated information on zooplankton composition from Tyre (South Lebanon). In this study, the occurrence of two copepod families (Canuellidae, Longipediidae) and the first regional record of Facetotecta (Y-nauplii) are reported for the first time in the Levantine Basin. Additionally, although six Calanoida species were recorded as new to the Lebanese fauna, none can be attributed to Lessepsian NIS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Dynamics of Marine Plankton)
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