Assessing the food web structure of the mesozooplankton community in the highly variable coastal upwelling system of the southeast Pacific

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dc.contributor.authorCabrera-Nunez, Susana
dc.contributor.authorFernandez-Urruzola, Igor
dc.contributor.authorBode, Antonio
dc.contributor.authorHernandez-Trujillo, Sergio
dc.contributor.authorHidalgo, Pamela
dc.contributor.authorEscribano, Ruben
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-28T02:20:45Z
dc.date.available2026-08-28T02:20:45Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractZooplankton are a key component in the food web of highly productive coastal upwelling systems linking primary producers to higher trophic levels. However, the complex taxonomy, wide size spectrum, and diverse trophic behaviors of zooplankton make it challenging to characterize their food web structure. This study proposes a Trophic Behavior Index (TBI) to assess the trophic structure of zooplankton and test the hypothesis that key biological attributes such as body size, diel vertical migration (DVM) behavior and trophic interactions, rather than environmental factors, primarily shape the food web dynamics of mesozooplankton communities. To this end, we analyzed depth-stratified daytime and nighttime samples of mesozooplankton collected from the upper 900 m at three oceanographically contrasting stations in the Southeast Pacific upwelling system. Vertical gradients in temperature, chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen were examined in relation to zooplankton abundance and composition, their DVM behavior, biomass size spectra and trophic position. The proposed TBI was constructed from zooplankton body size assessed by automated image analysis, DVM amplitude and trophic position of taxonomic groups derived from nitrogen stable isotope composition. This index was then compared across environmental conditions, allowing the classification of mesozooplankton into four major trophic functional groups: low predators (primary consumers), moderate predators, strong predators and top predators (very strong predators). Variability in oceanographic conditions influenced the zooplankton community composition and size spectrum; however, our findings suggest that zooplankton body size, DVM behavior and trophic position are the primary determinants of trophic structure. This is reflected in the relative abundance of functional groups, with strong and very strong predators prevailing in offshore areas, whereas the coastal zone was dominated by primary consumers and moderate predators. Overall, our findings support the TBI as a robust community descriptor of zooplankton trophic structure across highly variable oceanographic settings.
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Agency of Research and Development of Chile [ANID AIM23_0003, FONDECYT 11221079, 21211977]; Millennium Nucleus DEOXS [NCN2024_113]; Xunta de Galicia (Spain) [IN607A 2022/05]; ANID [AUB 150006/12806]; BMBF, Germany [So296/2]
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.pocean.2025.103580
dc.identifier.issn0079-6611
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorioabierto.uantof.cl/handle/uantof/750
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079661125001685?pes=vor&utm_source=clarivate&getft_integrator=clarivate
dc.rights© 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
dc.sourceProgress in Oceanography
dc.subjectZooplankton
dc.subjectDiel vertical migration
dc.subjectSize spectra
dc.subjectTrophic position
dc.subjectUpwelling zone
dc.subjectOxygen minimum zone
dc.subjectPrey-predator interactions
dc.titleAssessing the food web structure of the mesozooplankton community in the highly variable coastal upwelling system of the southeast Pacific
dc.typeReview
oaire.citation.volume239
organization.identifier.rorhttps://ror.org/04eyc6d95
organization.legalNameUniversidad de Antofagasta
uantof.identificator.facultyFacultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos
uantof.identificator.instituteInstituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt
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