Colloquium on diatom–copepod interactions

From 3 to 6 November 2002, a colloquium was convened at the Benthos Laboratory of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn on Ischia, Italy, with the goal of evaluating the present status of the effects of diatoms on their main consumers, planktonic copepods, and to develop future research strategies to enhance our understanding of such interactions. These included (1) toxic effects of diatom metabolites on copepods, particularly reproduction, and (2) nutritional effects of diatoms on juvenile to adult copepods. Key issues involved in the impact of diatoms on the dynamics of natural plankton communities in situ were also addressed. During the plenary session, the most recent advances on this topic were presented. The plenary session was followed by 3 working groups on (1) production of aldehydes by phytoplankton, (2) toxic and nutritional effects of diatoms on zooplankton, and (3) the chemistry of diatom defense, as well as of their nutritional quality. These working groups focused on suggesting future research needs for the different topics. As a result, several recommendations were outlined, including experimental studies. It became evident that interdisciplinary efforts are needed, involving chemists, oceanographers and experimentalists, since many of the biological observations under controlled conditions and in situ require an integrated approach, including chemical causation. Extensive field observations based on common protocols are also recommended for investigation of the intrinsic variability of such effects and their environmental controls. Laboratory experiments are seen to be essential for the full understanding of environmentally occurring processes.