Changes in zooplankton caused by climate are causing a large-scale decline in the quality of food for fish.

A new study finds that in a future warmer ocean, marine food webs will be "increasingly dominated" by carnivorous zooplankton such as jellyfish and gelatinous filter-feeding zooplankton. Using a marine ecosystem model and projections of future ocean warming, the researchers determined how the distribution and biomass of zooplankton will change as a result of ongoing climate change. They found that the increase in carnivorous and gelatinous zooplankton comes at the expense of omnivorous zooplankton. The authors say their new modeling framework is "an effective way to gain new insights into how climate change will affect zooplankton and the key role they play in the world's marine ecosystems."

Nature Climate Change