ZooM-In: Zooplankton Diel Vertical Migration in the Peruvian Upwelling System: Insights into Present and Future Impacts on Biogeochemistry

• Applicant: Dr. Tianfei Xue, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Oceanography
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 572350770

The main objective of this project is to investigate the biogeochemical impacts of zooplankton diel vertical migration (DVM) patterns within the Peruvian Upwelling System, a region of global ecological and biogeochemical significance. DVM—the daily vertical movement of organisms within the water column—represents the largest animal migration on the planet and plays a crucial role in ocean biogeochemical cycles. On a global scale, the carbon flux driven by DVM is estimated to exceed 1 PgC per year, contributing approximately 14–18% of total carbon export. Consequently, DVM also inevitably influences oxygen consumption/distribution and nitrogen cycles. Nevertheless, DVM is rarely implemented into current biogeochemical models, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of its role in ocean systems. This gap is particularly concerning for regions like the Peruvian upwelling system, which hosts one of the world’s largest and shallowest oxygen minimum zones and is a hotspot for nitrogen loss. The migration strategies of local zooplankton species, which exhibit unique DVM behaviors, could have profound effects on biogeochemical processes in this region. By integrating DVM into a state-of-the-art, high-resolution regional model, we aim to quantify how different migratory behaviors—derived from comprehensive observational data—affect surface productivity, carbon export, oxygen distribution, and nitrogen loss under present climate conditions. Furthermore, we will explore how future climate change may alter DVM behaviors and their subsequent biogeochemical impacts. This research will help identify potential systematic biases in current models that have not yet implemented DVM, improving our ability to predict oceanic carbon and nutrient cycles in a changing climate.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants