Aim

In plankton communities, abiotic parameters such as temperature, light, nutrient concentrations and hydrodynamics are driving factors in long-term succession. Therefore, we analyse spatio-temporal dynamics in pelagic communities with respect to these major factors using innovative technology such as ferry-boxes and buoy systems or model based data. On shorter time scales, biological interactions such as trophic relations, mating and competition are among the most significant processes structuring planktonic communities. Trophic interactions are of primary importance in our work; hence, one focus is on the identification, characterisation and quantification of interactions between key species and their prey.