Specificities and interannual variability of the surface plankton ecosystem of the Bay of Calvi (Corsica)

In the oligotrophic Bay of Calvi, Corsica (Ligurian Sea, Northwestern Mediterranean), the seasonal dynamics of surface plankton communities is studied for three decades, with the aim of assessing seasonal patterns, plankton assemblages and interannual trends. A major interannual variability is observed and seems to be controlled by hydro-climatic changes, rather than by anthropogenic perturbations. This confirms that the Bay of Calvi offers a unique site where ecosystem responses to climate change can be studied.