Project period 9 1 23 8 31 25PROJECT title synthesizing patterns and drivers of changes in lake zooplankton community dynamics worldwideglobal change is a threat to biodiversity

This cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Geological Survey will fund a project providing $100,000 to the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. The project aims to synthesize patterns and drivers of changes in lake zooplankton communities worldwide under the U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808).

Over a two-year period, the university team will address questions about freshwater zooplankton dynamics on a global scale using their comprehensive dataset. They will examine zooplankton communities as environmental change indicators, the influence of zooplankton characteristics on lake features, and climate change impacts on community responses. All research and analyses will be published openly to serve other researchers and managers. The creation of a reusable dataset and interface is intended to enable continued exploration of freshwater biodiversity beyond the award period. The project seeks to better understand and manage freshwater ecosystems facing global change pressures.

Syntheses of plant and animal community dynamics from local to global spatial scales, developed with comprehensive, long term data, are needed to understand how biodiversity loss is likely to impair how ecosystems function and the services they provide. Long term data series are available for marine and terrestrial systems, but long term data for inland waters remain alarmingly under represented and under funded. To better address the recognized biodiversity crisis in fresh waters, the project team has assembled the most comprehensive dataset on freshwater zooplankton microscopic animals absolutely vital to healthy freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Using the dataset and team science approach, the project team will meet several times over two years to answer four linked, timely questions about freshwater zooplankton dynamics (1) how can zooplankton communities be used as indicators of environmental change across the world (2) how do important characteristics of zooplankton, such as their body size, influence critical lake features such as water quality, algal blooms, and fish communities (3) how do zooplankton community dynamics and their influence on lake features respond to climate change and other stressors, and can expect the same responses in different types of lakes (shallow VS deep, for example) in the same location, or different responses in the same types of lakes in different parts of the world (4) does sampling many different types of lakes once per year provide the same information about impacts of climate change on zooplankton compared to sampling the same lake over long periods of time research and analyses will be published in peer reviewed journals and reports. Will facilitate the continued use of the data set and analyses beyond the end of the project by developing a user friendly dataset and interface with parallel open access outputs to serve other researchers, educators, and resource managers. Together, will address fundamental questions related to freshwater biodiversity change worldwide with the goal to better manage freshwater ecosystems in the midst of global change. By creating a flexible, reusable data product, will enable scientists and managers around the globe to continue exploration and analysis of freshwater community dynamics beyond the scope and duration of this project.