Biodiversity and changes to ecosystem functionality
The CPR survey with its rich taxonomic records (~500 taxonomic entities) has been identified as a 'major biodiversity monitoring programme' and, coupled with its long time-series, the CPR could be one of the richest ecological datasets in the world. Apart from SAHFOS's role in monitoring and documenting changes in pelagic biodiversity, marine scientists have the opportunity of using the CPR dataset to answer some critically important questions on biodiversity. In particular, understanding changing patterns, adaptability (from genes to ecosystems), stability and the functional role of diversity in marine ecosystems is of primary importance. SAHFOS's taxonomic expertise and consistency in plankton analysis are particularly crucial to the future success of this scientific theme.
Above: The mean geographical pattern of species diversity for the North Atlantic ocean based on over 200,000 CPR samples taken over five decades. A clear boundary is seen between the North Atlantic current and the Subpolar Gyre where biodiversity it at its minimum.
Read more: Beaugrand, G., Luczak, C., Edwards, M., 2009. Rapid biogeographical plankton shifts in the North Atlantic Ocean. Global Change Biology, 15: 1790-1803.
