Decadal scale phytoplankton species miniaturization in subtropical coastal waters.

ABSTRACT: Miniaturization, i.e. reduction in body size, happens in different organisms as an adaptation strategy under environmental stress such as warming. However, whether phytoplankton miniaturization occurs in coastal waters remains understudied due to complex environmental factors and strong spatiotemporal variability. Here, we comprehensively investigated the long-term changes in phytoplankton body size over 20 years in the coastal waters of Hong Kong through monthly sampling at 25 stations across the region. We employed a framework distinguishing two drivers of community miniaturization: (i) intraspecific size reduction (species miniaturization) and (ii) shifts in community composition toward a higher proportion of small species. At the species level, miniaturization was widespread, more in d

SUBMITTER: Xu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12676728 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature