Distribution patterns and driving mechanisms of ciliate communities from continental shelf to deep basin of the Northeastern South China Sea.

ABSTRACT: Ciliates are common components of microplankton and play crucial roles in the marine microbial food web, but little is known regarding how community assembly and species association vary from shelf to basin. A survey of ciliate diversity was conducted in the northeastern South China Sea during the winter of 2013, and the spatial distribution, driving mechanisms and network relationships of ciliate community were revealed. Our results showed that ciliate community compositions were similar between continental shelf and basin areas but significantly different between photic and aphotic waters. Higher ciliate abundances were found in shelf and photic waters than in basin and aphotic waters, primarily due to differences in light, nutrients and food resources. Across the entire sea area, enviro

SUBMITTER: Wen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12343036 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature