| Summary: | In aquatic ecosystems, global change encompasses human-induced variations in the upper layer of the water column, where most of the carbon fixation takes place. These changes include increments of exposure to solar UV radiation, mean temperature of surface seawater, ocean acidification and variations in nutrient concentrations. These factors are well known to affect plankton ecosystems, although not all organisms are equally affected. In addition, many times these factors interact so that the final results are not always additive or synergistic as expected. Finally, indirect effects (e.g. through trophic interactions) are often more pronounced than direct ones (e.g. survival or growth), which in some cases mask overall and long-term expected ecological shifts in plankton communities. We review the main contributions in this field from the Atlantic coast of South America and discuss in a final section what have we learned and what is still unknown as global changes seem to be here to stay. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. All rights reserved.
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