Climate,plankton and cod

While a few North Atlantic cod stocks are stable, none have increased and many have declined in recent years. Although overfishing is the main cause of most observed declines, this study shows that in some regions, climate by its influence on plankton may exert a strong control on cod stocks, complicating the management of this species that often assumes a constant carrying capacity. First, we investigate the likely drivers of changes in the cod stock in the North Sea by evaluating the potential relationships between climate, plankton and cod. We do this by deriving a Plankton Index that reflects the quality and quantity of plankton food available for larval cod. We show that this Plankton Index explains 46.24% of the total variance in cod recruitment and 68.89% of the variance in total cod biomass. Because the effects of climate act predominantly through plankton during the larval stage of cod development, our results indicate a pronounced sensitivity of cod stocks to climate at the warmer, southern edge of their distribution, for example in the North Sea. Our analyses also reveal for the first time, that at a large basin scale, the abundance of Calanus finmarchicus is associated with a high probability of cod occurrence, whereas the genus Pseudocalanus appears less important. Ecosystem‐based fisheries management (EBFM) generally considers the effect of fishing on the ecosystem and not the effect of climate‐induced changes in the ecosystem state for the living resources. These results suggest that EBFM must consider the position of a stock within its ecological niche, the direct effects of climate and the influence of climate on the trophodynamics of the ecosystem.     

海洋浮游生物的生态化学计量学研究进展

生态化学计量学可以简单定义为从分子到生物圈的元素生物学,其跨越了环境和生命的各个层次,是构建从分子到生态系统统一化理论的新思路,是生态科学发展的必然趋势.海洋生物占地球生物圈总生物量的50%,是全球生物地球化学循环的重要组成部分,而浮游生物作为海洋生态系统物质循环和能量流动的重要环节,在海洋生态系统元素循环过程中起着关键作用.但是目前关于海洋浮游生物生态化学计量学的研究较零散和缺乏.因此,本文从限制元素影响海洋浮游生物的生态现象和机理、生化物质对营养限制的响应、营养限制的食物链传递与反馈4方面,对海洋浮游生物化学计量学研究进行综述,分析了该领域当前存在的问题,并对我国海洋浮游生物生态化学计量学研究的发展重点提出了展望.
     

Crustacean plankton in Høylandet

Crustacean plankton was studied in 12 lakes in theHøylandet area in 1986–87. Basic lake characteristicsare elevation 134–415 m, surface area 9–530 ha, pH 5.9–7.1,conductivity (25 °C) 12–40 µS cm^-1 andSecchi depth 4–9 m. Number ofspecies present varied between 3 and 11. Populationnumbers between 4000 and 400 000 per m² andbiomasses were within the range 30 to1800 mg m^-2 dry weight. Cladocera dominated overCopepoda in lakes with allopatric brown trout (Salmo trutta L.), on the contrary to lakes also populatedby Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)). Thesevariations are caused by differences in elevation,lake morphometry, water quality, fish predation andthe general distribution of the species. The largestlakes at lowest elevation were richest in species. Theacid sensitive genus Daphnia was represented by 3species. The lakes Storgrønningen (530 ha) andRøyrtjønna (27 ha) were sampled monthly in theice-free seasons of 1986–89, and Storgrønningen moreintensively from June to November in 1987 and 1988. The same6 species of Cladocera and 5 of Copepoda were presentin both lakes. Their life cycles were traditional orknown from several other Scandinavian lakes. Meanseasonal biomasses were of the range600–750 mg m^-2. At the species level, there wereconsiderable variations between years inStorgrønningen and particularly in Røyrtjønna. Noeffects of human impacts on the crustacean planktonwere found. The Høylandet lakes are representative forScandinavian oligotrophic to almost ultra-oligotrophiclakes. Storgrønningen is well qualified as a referencesystem. The between year variations in Røyrtjønna areso extreme, that any human impact could only be traced at alevel causing the extinction of species.     

Community structure and function in prokaryotic marine plankton

Molecular biodiversity studies of microbial communities have provided invaluable information on the existence of heretofore unknown organisms and on community composition. Cloning and ‘fingerprinting’ techniques have been used many times to study prokaryote community composition of marine plankton. There are still many opportunities for new discoveries in this area, but the results have also opened new questions about the activities of these organisms and their function, going beyond just listing taxa or counting organisms. Rarely can the broad function be inferred from phylogenetic position alone (e.g. cyanobacteria). The recent discovery of abundant non-cyanobacterial marine phototrophs points to our inability to link phylogenetic position with function in a detailed way. One approach we have found fruitful is to combine fluorescence in situ hybridization with microautoradiography, a technique dubbed STARFISH. A recent application has shown that ubiquitous archaea from the deep sea, phylogenetically related to extreme thermophiles, are active in the uptake of amino acids from ambient (nanomolar) concentrations. This suggests the group is at least partly heterotrophic and able to compete successfully with bacteria for nutrients. Other as-yet uncultivated groups are also amenable to similar studies. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ecosystem dynamics based on plankton functional types for global ocean biogeochemistry models

Ecosystem processes are important determinants of the biogeochemistry of the ocean, and they can be profoundly affected by changes in climate. Ocean models currently express ecosystem processes through empirically derived parameterizations that tightly link key geochemical tracers to ocean physics. The explicit inclusion of ecosystem processes in models will permit ecological changes to be taken into account, and will allow us to address several important questions, including the causes of observed glacial–interglacial changes in atmospheric trace gases and aerosols, and how the oceanic uptake of CO₂ is likely to change in the future. There is an urgent need to assess our mechanistic understanding of the environmental factors that exert control over marine ecosystems, and to represent their natural complexity based on theoretical understanding. We present a prototype design for a Dynamic Green Ocean Model (DGOM) based on the identification of (a) key plankton functional types that need to be simulated explicitly to capture important biogeochemical processes in the ocean; (b) key processes controlling the growth and mortality of these functional types and hence their interactions; and (c) sources of information necessary to parameterize each of these processes within a modeling framework. We also develop a strategy for model evaluation, based on simulation of both past and present mean state and variability, and identify potential sources of validation data for each. Finally, we present a DGOM-based strategy for addressing key questions in ocean biogeochemistry. This paper thus presents ongoing work in ocean biogeochemical modeling, which, it is hoped will motivate international collaborations to improve our understanding of the role of the ocean in the climate system.     

Rapid biogeographical plankton shifts in the North Atlantic Ocean

Large‐scale biogeographical changes in the biodiversity of a key zooplankton group (calanoid copepods) were detected in the north‐eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas over the period 1960–1999. These findings provided key empirical evidence for climate change impacts on marine ecosystems at the regional to oceanic scale. Since 1999, global temperatures have continued to rise in the region. Here, we extend the analysis to the period 1958–2005 using all calanoid copepod species assemblages (nine species assemblages based on an analysis including a total of 108 calanoid species or taxa) and show that this phenomenon has been reinforced in all regions. Our study reveals that the biodiversity of calanoid copepods are responding quickly to sea surface temperature (SST) rise by moving geographically northward at a rapid rate up to about 23.16 km yr^?1. Our analysis suggests that nearly half of the increase in sea temperature in the northeast Atlantic and adjacent seas is related to global temperature rises (46.35% of the total variance of temperature) while changes in both natural modes of atmospheric and oceanic circulation explain 26.45% of the total variance of temperature. Although some SST isotherms have moved northwards by an average rate of up to 21.75 km yr^?1 (e.g. the North Sea), their movement cannot fully quantify all species assemblage shifts. Furthermore, the observed rates of biogeographical movements are far greater than those observed in the terrestrial realm. Here, we discuss the processes that may explain such a discrepancy and suggest that the differences are mainly explained by the fluid nature of the pelagic domain, the life cycle of the zooplankton and the lesser anthropogenic influence (e.g. exploitation, habitat fragmentation) on these organisms. We also hypothesize that despite changes in the path and intensity of the oceanic currents that may modify quickly and greatly pelagic zooplankton species, these organisms may reflect better the current impact of climate warming on ecosystems as terrestrial organisms are likely to significantly lag the current impact of climate change.     

密云水库的浮游生物群落

2002年4～10月对密云水库浮游生物群落的调查结果显示：浮游植物有6门,58属,122种,细胞密度为565．30～10^4cells／L,4月份硅藻(Bacillariophyta)占优势,6～10月蓝藻(Cyanophyta)占绝对优势．浮游植物优势种群有水华微囊藻(Microcystis flas-aquae)、颗粒直链藻(Melosira granulata)、梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、角甲藻(Ceratium hirundinella)等。浮游动物有36种,密度为4761ind/L;浮游动物具有原生动物在数量上占绝对优势．轮虫次之,枝角类与桡足类数量较少的特点。浮游动物的优势种群有弹跳虫(Halteria grandinella)、急游虫(Stromlridium uiHde)、针簇多肢轮虫(Polyarthra trigla)、螺形龟甲轮虫(Keratella cochlearis)、广布中剑水蚤(Mesocyclops leuckarti)、长额象鼻蚤(Bosmlna longirostris)等．与1980年监测结果相比,密云水库浮游生物总密度上升较快,群落结构和优势种群也发生了明显变化．浮游生物优势种群的指示作用显示,在植物生长季节,库区水体已进入富营养状态。     

Natural vs. mariculture induced variability in nutrients and plankton in the eastern Mediterranean

The water column in three Mediterranean fish farms was investigated in terms of physical, chemical and biological characteristics. A significant increase in concentrations of phosphate and ammonium was detected within the cages over the control site in one of the farms but without any significant effect on chlorophyll concentration. Analysis of variation within the data set identified location and season as the major factors of variability in most of the variables examined except phosphate and ammonium for which variability induced by fish farming seemed to be of major importance. Plankton abundance for the major taxonomic groups (diatoms, flagellates, dinoflagellates and ciliates), microplankton species diversity and community structure were also determined by the effects of season and location rather than by fish farming.     

The use of otolith microstructure to estimate age in adult Atlantic cod Gadus morhua

Transverse sections of otoliths from Atlantic cod Gadus morhua from the Baltic Sea revealed narrow growth increments. The widths of these increments corresponded to daily increments from fish with known otolith growth rates and were therefore assumed to be daily increments. They exhibited a distinct pattern with increasing distance from the primary primordium. A series of zones with clearly distinguishable increments, first with increasing then with decreasing widths in a dome‐shaped pattern, were separated by zones where no regular increment structure was visible. Increment width seemed to be tightly coupled to the annual cycle in environmental temperature at a depth of 30–60 m, where G. morhua predominantly reside. Between 135 and 200 increments occurred within the different zones, with a non‐significant trend towards lower increment numbers and widths with distance from the primary primordium of the otolith. Increment formation apparently ceased at temperatures < 5–6° C, but growth during the cold months corresponded closely with estimated growth rates. The increment patterns seemed to reflect annual cycles in environmental temperature, and the count of the increment cycles may thus be a promising tool for the determination of the true age of Baltic G. morhua.     

A 3-year plankton DNA metabarcoding survey reveals marine biodiversity patterns in Australian coastal waters

Aim

To use a long-term collection of bulk plankton samples to test the capacity of DNA metabarcoding to characterize the spatial and seasonal patterns found within a range of zooplankton communities, and investigate links with concurrent abiotic data collected as part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) programme.

Location

Samples were sourced seasonally for 3 years from nine Pan-Australian marine sites (n = 90).

Methods

Here, we apply a multi-assay metabarcoding approach to environmental DNA extracted from bulk plankton samples. Six assays (targeting 16SrRNA and COI genes) were used to target, amplify and sequence the zooplankton diversity found within each sample. The data generated from each assay were filtered and clustered into OTUs prior to analysis. Abiotic IMOS data collected contemporaneously enabled us to explore the physical and chemical drivers of community composition.

Results

From over 25 million sequences, we identified in excess of 500 distinct taxa and detected clear spatial differences. We found that site and sea surface temperature are the most consistent predictors of differences between zooplankton communities. We detected endangered and invasive species such as the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea and the mollusc Maoricolpus roseus, and seasonal occurrences of species such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). We also estimated the number of samples required to detect any significant seasonal changes. For OTU richness, this was found to be assay dependent and for OTU assemblage, a minimum of nine samples per season would be required.

Main Conclusion

Our results demonstrate the ability of DNA to capture and map zooplankton community changes in response to seasonal and spatial stressors and provide vital evidence to environmental stakeholders. We confirm that a metabarcoding method offers a practical opportunity for an ecosystem-wide approach to long-term biomonitoring and understanding marine biomes where morphological analysis is not feasible.     

A chronology of plankton dynamics in silico: how computer models have been used to study marine ecosystems

Research on plankton ecology in the oceans has traditionally been conducted via two scientific approaches: in situ (in the field) and in vitro (in the laboratory). There is, however, a third approach: exploring plankton dynamics in silico, or using computer models as tools to study marine ecosystems. Models have been used for this purpose for over 60 years, and the innovations and implementations of historical studies provide a context for how future model applications can continue to advance our understanding. To that end, this paper presents a chronology of the in silico approach to plankton dynamics, beginning with modeling pioneers who worked in the days before computers. During the first 30 years of automated computation, plankton modeling focused on formulations for biological processes and investigations of community structure. The changing technological context and conceptual paradigms of the late-1970s and 1980s resulted in simulations becoming more widespread research tools for biological oceanographers. This period saw rising use of models as hypothesis-testing tools, and means of exploring the effects of circulation on spatial distributions of organisms. Continued computer advances and increased availability of data in the 1990s allowed old approaches to be applied to old and new problems, and led to developments of new approaches. Much of the modeling in the new millennium so far has incorporated these sophistications, and many cutting-edge applications have come from a new generation of plankton scientists who were trained by modeling gurus of previous eras. The future directions for modeling plankton dynamics are rooted in the historical studies.     

Consequences of changes in thermal regime for plankton diversity and trait composition in a polymictic lake: a matter of temporal scale

1. Changes in plankton species diversity and community structure as a result of global warming are of growing concern in ecological studies, as these properties contribute substantially to key ecosystem processes. 2. We analysed the effect of short‐term temperature rise and changes in the thermal regime during summer on plankton diversity of the eutrophic and polymictic Müggelsee in Germany, from 26 years of summer records (1982–2007). We tested for changes in community properties, such as species richness, evenness and population size of phyto‐ and zooplankton, during alternating periods of thermal stratification and mixing, which were between 2 and 8 weeks long. Moreover, we tested for overall long‐term temporal trends in annual averages of the community properties during stratified and mixed events. 3. We found that the overall number of stratification events increased significantly across the study period. When the lake was stratified, consistently higher surface water temperatures and lower epilimnetic nutrient concentrations were found. As the length of thermal stratification increased, the phytoplankton shifted towards a higher proportion of buoyant cyanobacteria capable of N‐fixation (Aphanizomenon, Anabaena). Diatoms were at a disadvantage because of high temperature, exceeding their upper lethal limit and sedimentation losses. Zooplankton species with high thermal tolerances (i.e. Thermocyclops oithonoides, Thermocyclops crassus) and/or those that grow quickly at high temperatures (i.e. rotifers) became more common. 4. During periods of continuous mixing, the community remained largely unchanged, except for some minor increase in the biomass of diatoms. 5. While a noticeable shift towards N‐fixing cyanobacteria was observed with increasing length of stratified events, and rotifers and copepods became the main predators, there were minimal changes in diversity, except for an increase in cyclopoid copepods and a decrease in diatom diversity. As for cyanobacteria, the net short‐term effect on their diversity was neutral as a result of species replacements. In the long term, however, the diversity of cyanobacteria and cladocerans declined while that of rotifers increased. 6. Overall, our study presents a cautionary example of how we might fail to foresee the impact of climate‐induced changes on ecosystem processes if we restrict our studies to seasonal or yearly temporal scales, thus neglecting the impact of substantial changes operating at smaller temporal scales.     

Long-term changes in phytoplankton, zooplankton and salmon related to climate

Recently, large‐scale changes in the biogeography of calanoid copepod crustaceans have been detected in the northeastern North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Strong biogeographical shifts in all copepod assemblages were found with a northward extension of more than ° in latitude of warm‐water species associated with a decrease in the number of colder‐water species. These changes were attributed to regional increase in sea surface temperature. Here, we have extended these studies to examine long‐term changes in phytoplankton, zooplankton and salmon in relation to hydro‐meteorological forcing in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. We found highly significant relationships between (1) long‐term changes in all three trophic levels, (2) sea surface temperature in the northeastern Atlantic, (3) Northern Hemisphere temperature and (4) the North Atlantic Oscillation. The similarities detected between plankton, salmon, temperature and hydro‐climatic parameters are also seen in their cyclical variability and in a stepwise shift that started after a pronounced increase in Northern Hemisphere Temperature anomalies at the end of the 1970s. All biological variables show a pronounced change which started after circa 1982 for euphausiids (decline), 1984 for the total abundance of small copepods (increase), 1986 for phytoplankton biomass (increase) and Calanus finmarchicus (decrease) and 1988 for salmon (decrease). This cascade of biological events led to an exceptional period, which is identified after 1986 to present and followed another shift in large‐scale hydro‐climatic variables and sea surface temperature. This regional temperature increase therefore appears to be an important parameter that is at present governing the dynamic equilibrium of northeast Atlantic pelagic ecosystems with possible consequences for biogeochemical processes and fisheries.     

Environmental variability drives phytoplankton assemblage persistence in a subtropical reservoir

Temporal changes of assemblages may result from environmental variability and reflect seasonal dynamics of their ecosystem. In the subtropics, the hydrological regime is usually characterized by well‐defined wet and dry seasons, regulating discharge and influencing a series of environmental variables that affect phytoplankton persistence. Therefore, we may expect that dry seasons are environmentally more stable than wet seasons. We analysed interannual phytoplankton assemblage variability (or, inversely, persistence) in a subtropical reservoir sampled every austral summer and winter during 5 years. We tested (i) if phytoplankton assemblage structure differed between the dry (summer) and wet (winter) seasons; (ii) if assemblage persistence differed between the seasons; (iii) if assemblage persistence was related to environmental stability; and (iv) if assemblage dissimilarity increased over time. Phytoplankton assemblages differed between the summer and winter seasons. Winter indicator species were mostly Bacillariophyceae or Cryptophyceae, whereas Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae taxa were more frequent and abundant in summer. Assemblages in the dry season were more persistent among years than those occurring during rainy periods. Similarly, environmental variability tended to be lower among dry than among rainy seasons. The relation between the phytoplankton temporal cycle and the temporal patterns of environmental variability supports our prediction that high environmental stability results in more persistent assemblages. Assemblage dissimilarity increased as sampling years were farther apart, for both seasons. Additionally, assemblages in the rainy periods showed a more pronounced increase in dissimilarity, as their changes among years were less predictable. We found a clear temporal pattern and an increased dissimilarity over time in the phytoplankton assemblage structure. Unravelling these temporal patterns may improve our understanding of phytoplankton temporal dynamics, and may have implications for management and monitoring programs. High dissimilarity of assemblages among years, particularly among rainy periods, can obscure human impacts, and monitoring programs should take this into account.     

Environmental forcing and Southern Ocean marine predator populations: effects of climate change and variability

The Southern Ocean is a major component within the global ocean and climate system and potentially the location where the most rapid climate change is most likely to happen, particularly in the high-latitude polar regions. In these regions, even small temperature changes can potentially lead to major environmental perturbations. Climate change is likely to be regional and may be expressed in various ways, including alterations to climate and weather patterns across a variety of time-scales that include changes to the long interdecadal background signals such as the development of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Oscillating climate signals such as ENSO potentially provide a unique opportunity to explore how biological communities respond to change. This approach is based on the premise that biological responses to shorter-term sub-decadal climate variability signals are potentially the best predictor of biological responses over longer time-scales. Around the Southern Ocean, marine predator populations show periodicity in breeding performance and productivity, with relationships with the environment driven by physical forcing from the ENSO region in the Pacific. Wherever examined, these relationships are congruent with mid-trophic-level processes that are also correlated with environmental variability. The short-term changes to ecosystem structure and function observed during ENSO events herald potential long-term changes that may ensue following regional climate change. For example, in the South Atlantic, failure of Antarctic krill recruitment will inevitably foreshadow recruitment failures in a range of higher trophic-level marine predators. Where predator species are not able to accommodate by switching to other prey species, population-level changes will follow. The Southern Ocean, though oceanographically interconnected, is not a single ecosystem and different areas are dominated by different food webs. Where species occupy different positions in different regional food webs, there is the potential to make predictions about future change scenarios.     

Morphologic variability of the coccolithophorid Calcidiscus leptoporus in the plankton, surface sediments and from the Early Pleistocene

On a global scale, morphological variability of the extant coccolithophorid Calcidiscus leptoporus (Murray and Blackman, 1898) Loeblich and Tappan was investigated in surface sediments and plankton samples and from an Early Pleistocene time-slice (1.8 Ma to 1.6 Ma). In the bivariate space coccolith diameter versus number of rays in the distal shield, Holocene samples follow a single, unimodal morphocline. Sample means of coccolith size and number of elements group in three clusters, I, II and III, which are of biogeographic significance. Clusters II and III coccoliths (mean coccolith size of 5.0 μm and 20.9 elements, and 6.6 μm and 25.6 elements, respectively) are found in a tropical belt extending from 11 °N to 17 °S with an annual minimum sea-surface temperature above 23.5 °C. Cluster I coccoliths (5.8 μm, 20.7 elements) are found in samples outside that belt. The distribution of coccoliths in the surface sediments is tentatively interpreted to be a result of mixing to a varying degree of at least three different morphotypes (‘small’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘large’), which were identified in the living plankton, and which are separated from each other at 5 μm and 8 μm mean coccolith diameter, respectively. A comparison of the surface sediments with the Early Pleistocene assemblages revealed that between 1.6 Ma and 1.8 Ma two morphoclines A and B existed, the first of which persisted until the Holocene in the form of C. leptoporus, while the second comprises only extinct morphotypes including Calcidiscus macintyrei as one end-member. During the Early Pleistocene morphocline A was more homogeneous and no clusters were evident.Morphocline B shows a clear bimodality with a separation of morphotypes at 9.5 μm. Our observations suggest that morphoclines are subsets within the total stratigraphical range of a single species, and represent the global variability of that species in a particular time interval. Morphotypes, which belong to a morphocline, represent the infra-specific variability of that species within the biogeographic and stratigraphic limits of that species.     

Environmental Variables and Planktonic Communities in Two Ponds of El Hondo Wetland (SE Spain)

The annual cycle of physical and chemical variables and plankton dynamics was studied in two shallow ponds (East and West Ponds) of the El Hondo wetland, an ecosystem of international importance. Water conductivity increased up to 31–49 mS cm^–1 as water level decreased due to high evaporation and minimal water inputs. Initially considered mesohaline, the waters were reclassified as polyhaline during the hot season. EP was subject to successive desiccation‐flooding cycles, and flooding of the dried sediment caused the release of high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, which quickly depleted. The algal species composition was typical of eutrophic ecosystems, and the chlorophyll content indicated that EP was eutrophic and WP mesotrophic. Phytoplanktonic species richness and diversity were low in both ponds. Algal assemblages, in terms of biovolume, were mainly dominated by Dinophyceae in EP and by Cryptophyta in WP. The zooplankton community was dominated by Rotifers (Brachionus and Hexarthra), although Copepods and Ciliates were also important. Different water inputs to the ponds, partial drying in EP during the warm season with the subsequent higher increment of salinity, and the presence of dense populations of submerged macrophytes in WP, explain the differences in plankton communities found between the two ponds.     

Terrestrial and marine perspectives on modeling organic matter degradation pathways

Organic matter (OM) plays a major role in both terrestrial and oceanic biogeochemical cycles. The amount of carbon stored in these systems is far greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, and annual fluxes of CO₂ from these pools to the atmosphere exceed those from fossil fuel combustion. Understanding the processes that determine the fate of detrital material is important for predicting the effects that climate change will have on feedbacks to the global carbon cycle. However, Earth System Models (ESMs) typically utilize very simple formulations of processes affecting the mineralization and storage of detrital OM. Recent changes in our view of the nature of this material and the factors controlling its transformation have yet to find their way into models. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of the role and cycling of detrital OM in terrestrial and marine systems and examine how this pool of material is represented in ESMs. We include a discussion of the different mineralization pathways available as organic matter moves from soils, through inland waters to coastal systems and ultimately into open ocean environments. We argue that there is strong commonality between aspects of OM transformation in both terrestrial and marine systems and that our respective scientific communities would benefit from closer collaboration.