Eukaryotic plankton in the pelagic system – biodiversity, biotoxicity and environmental impact
TITLE:
Eukaryotic plankton in the pelagic system – biodiversity, biotoxicity and environmental impact
FUNDING:
National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026
ACRONYM:
BioPlan
DURATION:
2024-2027
Eukaryotic plankton in the pelagic system – biodiversity, biotoxicity and environmental impact (BioPlan)
Eukaryotic marine plankton are now threatened by numerous harmful anthropogenic influences and global climate change, which affect the number of species and their natural cycles. The studies proposed within the BioPlan project aim to uncover interactions between these communities and climatic and anthropogenic environmental influences by identifying changes and trends in the number and structure of phyto- and zooplankton, their biodiversity, the frequency of occurrence of toxic blooms and the mechanisms of toxin production and bioaccumulation.
In addition to new results, we will also use the long-term data available at the Institute on the abundance and structure of phytoplankton and zooplankton to investigate climate-related patterns. We will study toxic phytoplankton species under natural and experimental conditions. Using integrative taxonomy, we will explore the potential of genomics in determining biodiversity indicators in a range of planktonic eukaryotes (photoautotrophs, heterotrophic/mixotrophic protists, multicellular heterotrophs) in the central Adriatic Sea.
By determining the chemical properties of natural lipophilic and hydrophilic toxins in marine organisms, we will investigate the process of bioaccumulation of toxins in natural and cultured bivalve species. The proposed research will contribute to the scientific knowledge of the planktonic communities of the Adriatic Sea, strengthen the scientific development of all scientists involved and of the institution itself, and enable the continuation of multidisciplinary scientific research even after the completion of this project.
Project team
Project logo
We would like to thank Dr Claudia Traboni for the use of the illustration in the design of the BioPlan project logo.
News
Popular science lecture “Zooplankton – small and mighty sea creatures”
Natalia Bojanić Ph.D, member of the research team of the BioPlan project, gave a lecture on March 28, 2025 as part of the project “Reconnect Science with the Blue Society (Blue-connect 2.0)” at the Public Institution Nature of Šibenik-Knin County, Visitor Center St. Anthony’s Channel (available via the link).The aim of the presentation was to introduce the public to the morphotaxonomy and ecology of the most important groups of eukaryotic zooplankton, from unicellular organisms such as ciliates, radiolarians and foraminifera to multicellular organisms such as rotifers, copepods, gelatinous zooplankton and meroplankton larvae. The latest plankton research carried out at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries as part of the BioPlan project (National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026) was also presented. Particular attention was paid to the importance of zooplankton in food webs, its role in the “biological pump” and its importance in assessing the health of marine ecosystems.
Investigation of the genetic diversity of plankton communities in the Bay of Kaštela
Marine planktonic eukaryotes are organisms with high morphological, phylogenetic and genetic diversity and include primary producers and consumers at the base of the marine food web. As part of the BioPlan project (National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026), we conducted a pilot sampling of planktonic communities in Kaštela Bay in June 2024. Samples of unicellular photoautotrophic organisms (phytoplankton), heterotrophic/mixotrophic protists (microzooplankton) and other multicellular heterotrophic organisms (mesozooplankton) were collected, whose isolated DNA will provide new insights into the genetic diversity of planktonic communities in this area.
Paper published in journal Biology
As part of the project BioPlan – Eukaryotic Plankton in the Pelagic System – Biodiversity, Biotoxicity and Environmental Impact (National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 – 2026), Dr. Sc. Sanda Skejić and co-authors published the research paper “Phytoplankton Assemblage over a 14-Year Period in the Adriatic Sea: Patterns and Trends“, which is of exceptional importance for the study of phytoplankton communities in the Adriatic Sea. This study provides a rare long-term perspective of phytoplankton diversity and abundance in the central eastern Adriatic Sea, with 14 years of continuous time-series data collected in trophically diverse environments. The observed increase in diversity, especially in dinoflagellates, which outnumber diatoms, could be a possible adaptation of dinoflagellates to increased natural solar radiation in summer and increased sea surface temperature. The study was published in a special issue of the journal “Biology” dedicated to the effects of climate change on marine plankton. It was conducted in collaboration with colleagues from the University Department of Marine Studies in Split and the National Institute of Biology, Marine Biological Station Piran.
BioPlan project has begun
The implementation of the project „BioPlan – Eukaryotic plankton in the pelagic system – biodiversity, biotoxicity and environmental impact“ has started. The project is funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 and will run for four years. On this page you can follow our activities and the progress of the project.
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