Species distribution modelling for predicting spatial patterns of plankton diversity in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean

Plankton play a central role in marine food webs and carbon sequestration, serving as vital bioindicators. Understanding the drivers of their spatial patterns is a fundamental challenge for marine research, particularly in the Southeast Pacific Ocean (SPO). While various ocean-biogeographic units have been proposed for the SPO, the interactions between ecological components and environmental variables remains poorly characterized. We integrate databases with ecological and biogeochemical datasets, applying probabilistic analyses based on niche theory and using Bayesian species distribution models to assess the relationship between environmental variability and plankton diversity in the SPO.

Recommended citation: Yañez et al.