Diagrammatic Representation of Planktonic Communities Along the Brazilian Coast

Abstract

Plankton is a fundamental component of the marine food web, and conceptual pictorial models are essential tools for illustrating interactions among communities and understanding ecosystem complexity. This study aimed to develop a conceptual diagrammatic model focused on planktonic communities along the coast of São Paulo. To achieve this, secondary data were compiled from the literature and analyzed using the R environment. Phytoplankton showed the highest biomass (409.5 µgC/L), followed by heterotrophic nanoplankton (240 µgC/L). Although viral plankton (0.11 µgC/L) and bacterial biomass (14.86 µgC/L) were comparatively low, these groups play a vital role in cycling organic matter through the microbial loop and exert a bottom-up influence on the food web.