Tools
Tools
Holland, Matthew M., Artigas, Luis Felipe, Atkinson, Angus, Best, Mike, Bresnan, Eileen, Devlin, Michelle 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2194-2534, Eerkes-Medrano, Dafne, Johansen, Marie, Johns, David G., Machairopoulou, Margarita, Pitois, Sophie, Scott, James, Schilder, Jos, Stern, Rowena, Tait, Karen, Whyte, Callum, Widdicombe, Claire and McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail
(2025)
Mind the gap - The need to integrate novel plankton methods alongside ongoing long-term monitoring.
Ocean and Coastal Management, 262.
ISSN 0964-5691
Preview |
PDF (1-s2.0-S0964569125000043-main)
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (7MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Changes in plankton have important implications for ecosystem services, including supporting fish stocks, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and oxygen production. Standard long-term plankton monitoring relies on light microscopy to identify and count plankton taxa, with methods fully supported by international standards, providing high quality trusted data. Novel methods, including imaging and molecular, offer means of collecting select types of plankton data efficiently, filling targeted knowledge gaps left by standard monitoring and generating a more complete picture of plankton dynamics. Standard and novel monitoring methods present different advantages and costs, positioning their suitability to address different management needs. Standard plankton monitoring time-series are unique in providing the long-term temporal coverage, and thus statistical power, needed to detect and understand climate change impacts. When explored in parallel with standard monitoring, novel methods open doors to observing our seas from complementary perspectives, but further work is necessary before data from standard and novel methods can be integrated to address policy needs. Marine management priorities are shifting, and novel methods are increasingly proposed as possible alternatives to standard monitoring. However, for a long-term taxonomic perspective it is still essential to retain the specialist skills and maintain standard monitoring time-series to inform policy assessments of important changes in pelagic biodiversity. This review aims to inform readers of the value of long-term data, the importance of retaining taxonomic skills and embracing novel methods for marine plankton monitoring to assess pelagic biodiversity. We recommend strategies to maintain long-term monitoring whilst incorporating novel methods.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | automated imaging,continuous plankton recorder,edna,metabarcoding,plankton monitoring,plankton sampling,oceanography,aquatic science,management, monitoring, policy and law ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1910 |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Jun 2026 13:29 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Jun 2026 21:02 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103440 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107542 |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |