Hidden in plain sight: The importance of cryptic interactions in marine plankton

Here, we present a range of interactions, which we term “cryptic interactions.” These are interactions that occur throughout the marine planktonic foodweb but are currently largely overlooked by established methods, which mean large‐scale data collection for these interactions is limited. Despite th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Limnology and oceanography letters 2018-08, Vol.3 (4), p.341-356
Main Authors: Millette, Nicole C., Grosse, Julia, Johnson, Winifred M., Jungbluth, Michelle J., Suter, Elizabeth A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
Biogeochemistry
Biomass
Carbohydrates
Carbon
Data collection
Ecosystems
Efficiency
Fatty acids
Food quality
Nutrients
Plankton
Ratios
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Summary:Here, we present a range of interactions, which we term “cryptic interactions.” These are interactions that occur throughout the marine planktonic foodweb but are currently largely overlooked by established methods, which mean large‐scale data collection for these interactions is limited. Despite this, current evidence suggests some of these interactions may have perceptible impacts on foodweb dynamics and model results. Incorporation of cryptic interactions into models is especially important for those interactions involving the transport of nutrients or energy. Our aim is to highlight a range of cryptic interactions across the plankton foodweb, where they exist, and models that have taken steps to incorporate these interactions. Additionally, it is discussed where additional research and effort is required to continue advancing our understanding of these cryptic interactions. We call for more collaboration between ecologists and modelers in order to incorporate cryptic interactions into biogeochemical and foodweb models.
ISSN:2378-2242
2378-2242
DOI:10.1002/lol2.10084