Bhaumik et al. (2026): Resilience of the gelatinous zooplankton species Oikopleura dioica to ocean alkalinity enhancement

Amrita Bhaumik, Nicolás Sánchez, Silvan Urs Goldenberg, Synne Spjelkavik, María Couret, Ulf Riebesell, Maarten Boersma, Cornelia Jaspers, IN: PLOS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344503

Here, the authors assessed the response of a key gelatinous zooplankton species to OAE in a 53-day mesocosm experiment in a temperate Norwegian fjord. Oikopleura dioica is a globally distributed zooplankton member, known for its high secondary production capacity and key role in vertical carbon flux. O. dioica continuously produces mucous feeding structures (‘houses’), which efficiently retain submicron particles. Once discarded, these houses can sink rapidly and contribute to vertical carbon exports. To test the impacts of OAE on O. dioica abundances and their house production capacity, the authors exposed natural plankton communities to non-CO₂-equilibrated OAE scenarios spanning a ΔTA range from 0–600 μmol kg⁻¹, using silicate-based (olivine) and calcium-based (slaked lime) minerals. Population dynamics of O. dioica were monitored alongside the plankton community, and targeted bottle incubations were used to quantify house production and feeding rates.

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