First insights into the macroecology of European microscopic marine animals now in Global Ecology and Biogeography

A study recently published in Global Ecology and Biogeography led by Si with Gary and ex-MEFGL PhD student, Vera Fonseca (now Head of Metabarcoding at Bonn Museum), has revealed interesting insights into the macroecology of European microscopic eukaryotes. The debate about whether or not microscopic creatures display biogeographic structuring has been ongoing for some time now, but their study reveals biogeographic structuring amongst most of the animal phyla studied, but not in protist groups. The novel finding has important implications for marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a changing climate and also reinforces previous findings regarding the composition and the (still unknown!) magnitude of marine biodiversity in marine sediments.

Download the manuscript or by request via email (s [dot] creer [at] bangor [dot] ac [dot] uk ).

Publication date: 28 August 2014