A quantitative analysis into the relative influence of biotic and abiotic factors on plankton biomass in South East United States

It is well known that plankton is incredibly important to aquatic ecosystems. They are responsible for driving geochemical and biological systems in the ocean on a global scale (Vargas et al., 2015). They are also a major food source that constitutes the bottom of the aquatic food chain (Cardonna & Castello, 1994). Their importance to the ecosystem is so great that they are often used as an indicator species (Beaugrand, 2005). Plankton blooms are also often of interest to researchers, as they can be dangerous to subsurface marine life. The true factors that affect and cause these blooms are still controversial (Behrenfield & Boss, 2014). As such, it is important to clarify and quantify which factors affect plankton biomass changes. This project chooses a still novel domain in National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) data sites within the US on a large scale.