Warming has stronger direct than indirect effects on benthic microalgae in a seaweed system in spring.

ABSTRACT: Using outdoor mesocosms we investigated the relative importance of the direct and indirect (here: altered grazing) effects of seawater warming on benthic microalgae in a Baltic Sea Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae) system during the spring season. Seawater warming had a positive main effect on microalgal total biomass accrual and growth rate and on total mesograzer abundance and biomass. Moreover, under the existing resource-replete conditions in spring the direct positive effect of warming on microalgae was stronger than its indirect negative effect through enhanced grazing. The outcome of this study contrasts previous observations from the summer and winter season, where indirect effects of warming mediated by altered grazing were identified as an important driver of primary biomas

SUBMITTER: Werner FJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5337517 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature