Fading bioluminescence of the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Bioluminescence intensity acts as the indicator of the functional state of a plankton community. Data on bioluminescence intensity, zooplankton biomass, and chlorophyll a from the expeditions to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean were analyzed. The regression models implied a similar to 10-fold decline of bioluminescence intensity [bioluminescence potential (BP)] and zooplankton biomass for the 46 year time range from 1970 to 2016. The correlation was low between chlorophyll a (the indicator of phytoplankton biomass) and BP, but it was significant for the zooplankton biomass BP annual time series. The decline of BP was associated with the decreasing abundance of bioluminescent zooplankton, and increasing global warming-driven temperature.