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The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea
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The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2025) | Viewed by 6220

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Georgia Assimakopoulou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece
Interests: marine ecology; phytoplankton; diversity; microbial food web; indicators
Dr. Soultana Zervoudaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece
Interests: marine ecology; mesozooplankton taxonomy; ecophysiology; food web dynamics
Dr. Ioanna Varkitzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece
Interests: water quality assessment; harmful algal blooms (HABs) dynamics; eutrophication processes; pelagic habitat status
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by a gradient of increasing oligotrophy from the northwestern to the eastern regions. This semi-enclosed sea is characterized by complex physical dynamics, especially the thermohaline circulation, and shows considerable variability over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Seasonal patterns are linked to variations in hydrological features and changes in nutrient concentrations. This variability is reflected in the planktonic food webs, which dominate large parts of the Mediterranean pelagic habitats. Plankton assemblages in the Mediterranean have proved to be good indicators of environmental changes. Changes in plankton communities affect the pathways and efficiency of energy transfer along the food web, thus affecting the functioning of Mediterranean Sea ecosystems.

The scope of this Special Issue in Water, entitled “The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea”, focuses on updated data that could be used to monitor and evaluate the significance of plankton ecology and diversity in Mediterranean Sea ecosystems.

This Special Issue seeks to explore:

  • new insights to improve the current knowledge of marine plankton in the Mediterranean Sea (including composition, structure and dynamics);
  • plankton components and their interactions in the pelagic ecosystem;
  • long-term observations and modeling analysis of plankton communities;
  • the causes and effects of any changes of plankton communities in the Mediterranean Sea.

Dr. Georgia Assimakopoulou
Dr. Soultana Zervoudaki
Dr. Ioanna Varkitzi
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Water 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

  • Mediterranean Sea
  • marine ecosystem
  • marine biodiversity
  • plankton assemblages
  • phytoplankton
  • mesozooplankton
  • microzooplankton
  • bacteria
  • viruses
  • food webs
  • bioindicators

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2989 KiB  
Article
Unraveling Zooplankton Trophic Dynamics: Insights from Stable Isotope Analysis in the Eastern Mediterranean (Aegean, Cretan and Ionian Seas)
by Maria Protopapa and Soultana Zervoudaki
Water 2025, 17(8), 1187; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081187 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 159
Abstract
Understanding the trophic interactions and community structure of zooplankton is essential for assessing energy transfer in marine ecosystems. This study investigates the spatial and seasonal variations in stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes of dominant mesozooplankton groups across [...] Read more.
Understanding the trophic interactions and community structure of zooplankton is essential for assessing energy transfer in marine ecosystems. This study investigates the spatial and seasonal variations in stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes of dominant mesozooplankton groups across three sub-basins of the Eastern Mediterranean (North Aegean, Cretan, and South Ionian Seas) during two seasonal surveys (October 2014 and May 2015). Zooplankton samples were collected using a WP-2 net and analyzed for taxonomic composition, abundance, biomass, and stable isotopic signatures to assess trophic positioning. The results indicate that copepods dominated the zooplankton community at all stations, with Clausocalanus and Oithona juveniles being the most abundant taxa. Salps contributed significantly at certain stations, reflecting regional variations in the planktonic food web structure. Zooplankton δ15N values exhibited pronounced spatial and seasonal differences, with higher enrichment observed in 2014 compared to 2015. The calculated trophic positions highlight the variability in feeding strategies among copepod species, with Calanus helgolandicus occupying the highest trophic position (TP = 3.34) and Lucicutia spp. the lowest (TP = 1.22). Isotopic niche analysis identified two distinct feeding guilds: a group relying on phytoplankton and microzooplankton and another exhibiting broader trophic plasticity, including omnivorous and carnivorous taxa. These findings underscore the complexity of zooplankton trophic interactions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the role of regional hydrographic conditions in shaping the food web structure. This study provides essential baseline data for future research on the impacts of climate change and nutrient variability on Mediterranean marine ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea)
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30 pages, 6423 KiB  
Article
Decadal Trends in the Zooplankton Community of the Western Mediterranean
by Maria Luz Fernandez de Puelles, Magdalena Gazá, Miguel Cabanellas-Reboredo and Todd D. O’Brien
Water 2023, 15(24), 4267; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15244267 - 13 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1559
Abstract
Decadal trends in the zooplankton community were seasonally investigated in multiple monitoring transects of the western Mediterranean Sea during a period of increasing and record-high water temperatures. The transition area around the Baleares archipelago can be separated into two regions: the Alborán Sea [...] Read more.
Decadal trends in the zooplankton community were seasonally investigated in multiple monitoring transects of the western Mediterranean Sea during a period of increasing and record-high water temperatures. The transition area around the Baleares archipelago can be separated into two regions: the Alborán Sea and the Balearic Sea. Differences were found in the abundance and structure of the dominant zooplankton groups: the cladocerans and copepods. The highest zooplankton abundances were found during the stratified summer season, when cladoceran numbers peaked. However, copepods were more abundant during the winter. A marked seasonality was found in all groups and the dominant taxa: 114 species of copepods and 5 species of cladocerans were identified, but less than 8 species of copepods and 2 species of cladocerans dominated the populations. During the 2007–2017 study, warm and salty waters were observed in the Balearic Sea. In the Alborán Sea, cool and fresh waters were observed, along with a decline in chlorophyll. Irregular group and species trends were observed in both regions, exhibiting both increases and decreases depending on region and season. Trends differed, often oppositely, for the Alborán versus the Balearic Sea, with the transition region between them mirroring one or the other, switching with the seasons. The most dominant species, including Penilia avirostris and Clausocalanus arcuicornis, but also Evadne spinifera, C. lividus, C. furcatus, Paracalanus parvus, Acartia clausi, Centropages typicus, Subeucalanus monachus, and Calanus helgolandicus, are proposed as biological tracers to be used in further studies on climate and zooplankton community changes in the western Mediterranean Sea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea)
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17 pages, 2788 KiB  
Article
Temporal Evolution of Phytoplankton Metacommunity in a Disused Mediterranean Saltwork
by Francesco Bolinesi, Annunziata Talamo and Olga Mangoni
Water 2023, 15(13), 2419; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132419 - 29 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1445
Abstract
Saltworks are interesting sites for aquatic ecology, where marine phytoplankton plays a fundamental role in regulating ecosystem processes and sustaining large-scale biodiversity. This paper presents successional, structural, and dynamical traits of a phytoplankton metacommunity in a disused saltwork, where the industrial hydraulic management [...] Read more.
Saltworks are interesting sites for aquatic ecology, where marine phytoplankton plays a fundamental role in regulating ecosystem processes and sustaining large-scale biodiversity. This paper presents successional, structural, and dynamical traits of a phytoplankton metacommunity in a disused saltwork, where the industrial hydraulic management has been changed, leading to a different overlapping of natural and anthropic induced scales. We have considered the total phytoplankton biomass, size classes, and chemotaxonomical composition in monitoring the metacommunity dynamics in a series of single ponds spanning from marine to hypersaline ones between July 2008 and October 2009. Results indicate a large accumulation of biomass during summer to early autumn in hypersaline ponds, with the prevalence of small-size cells (<20 μm) in the entire system. Despite severe salinity fluctuations as a consequence of rainy events and evaporating processes, chlorophytes represented the dominant group of hypersaline ponds, while diatoms were more abundant where the influence of seawater inflow was higher. Despite the absence of ordinary maintenance, the phytoplankton metacommunity dynamic and patterns observed suggest that the existing saline gradient ensures qualitative and quantitative aspects of the primary production usually found in active saltworks. This makes the Saline di Tarquinia an important site not only for the preservation of Mediterranean biodiversity and hypersaline biotopes but also for ecological studies dealing with the trait-based responses of the phytoplankton community to large environmental fluctuations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea)
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14 pages, 3649 KiB  
Article
First Record of the Alien Tintinnid Ciliate Rhizodomus tagatzi Strelkow and Wirketis 1950 in the Adriatic Sea
by Jakica Njire, Natalia Bojanić, Davor Lučić and Ivana Violić
Water 2023, 15(10), 1821; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101821 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
The tintinnid ciliate Rhizodomus tagatzi has spread rapidly in recent decades in neritic areas of the Mediterranean and adjacent seas, where it is classified as a non-indigenous species. The present study documents the first finding of the species in the Adriatic Sea, in [...] Read more.
The tintinnid ciliate Rhizodomus tagatzi has spread rapidly in recent decades in neritic areas of the Mediterranean and adjacent seas, where it is classified as a non-indigenous species. The present study documents the first finding of the species in the Adriatic Sea, in the transitional waters of the Neretva River estuary. Zooplankton material was collected with 5 L Niskin bottles in three layers (1, 5 and 7 m) at two stations, at the mouth of the Neretva River and 16 km upstream, in the period from May 2022 to January 2023. In addition to the morphological characteristics of R. tagatzi, we discuss the state and variability of the populations based on the abundance of the species and the influence of abiotic environmental factors (temperature and salinity) and possible pathways of entry into the Adriatic Sea. The maximum abundance of R. tagatzi in the Neretva River estuary of ~2 × 103 cells L−1 is among the highest in the Mediterranean Sea, and the species has a significant contribution to the tintinnid community (>80%), indicating successful establishment of the population in the estuary and intense influence on ecosystem functioning until the strong river flow completely displaces the wedge from the seabed. Statistical methods confirm the differences between stations in the total abundance of tintinnids and differences in their vertical distribution at the upstream station. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Study of Plankton in the Mediterranean Sea)
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