Continuous warming drives the colonization dynamics of periphytic protozoan fauna in marine environments

Abstract In order to evaluate the influence of global warming on the ecosystem process in marine environments, the changes in colonization dynamics of periphytic microbiota were studied using the periphytic protozoan communities as the test organism fauna under a continuous warming gradient of 22 (control), 25, 28, 31 and 34 ℃. The results demonstrated that: (1) the test protozoan assemblages generally showed a similar temporal pattern in within the colonization process under the water temperature from 22 ℃ going up to 28 ℃; however, (2) the colonization dynamics were significantly changed, and the fitness of colonization curves to the Macarthur-Wilson model equation was failed under the temperature increased by 6 ℃, and (3) the loading or assimilative capacity of the test aquatic ecosystem was decreased with increase of water temperature. Therefore, it suggests that continuous warming may significantly drive the colonization dynamics of periphytic protozoa in marine ecosystems.