In this report, we provide a perspective on how zooplankton are able to respond to present and future levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a threat that has been present throughout evolutionary time. To cope with this threat, zooplankton have evolved several adaptations including behavioral responses, repair systems, and accumulation of photoprotective compounds. Common photoprotective compounds include melanins and carotenoids, which are true pigments, but also mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and several other substances, and different taxa use different blends of these compounds. It is not only the level of UV radiation, however, that determines the amount of photoprotective compounds incorporated by the zooplankton, but also other environmental factors, such as predation and supply rate of the compounds. Furthermore, compared to taxa that are less pigmented, those taxa with ample pigmentation are generally less likely to exhibit diel migration. The photoenzymatic repair of UV damages seems to be more efficient at intermediate temperature than at low and high temperatures, suggesting that it is less useful at high and low latitudes, where UV radiation is often extremely high. While predicted future increases in UV radiation are expected to substantially affect many processes, recent studies show that most zooplankton taxa are well adapted to cope with such increases, either by UV avoidance behavior or by incorporation of photoprotective compounds. Hence, we conclude that future increase in UV radiation will have only moderate direct effects on zooplankton biomass and community dynamics.

The effects of ozone depletion on global biogeochemical cycles, via increased UV-B radiation at the Earth’s surface, have continued to be documented over the past 4 years. In this report we also document various effects of UV-B that interact with global climate change because the detailed interactions between ozone depletion and climate change are central to the prediction and evaluation of future Earth environmental conditions. There is increasing evidence that elevated UV-B has significant effects on the terrestrial biosphere with important implications for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen and other elements. Increased UV has been shown to induce carbon monoxide production from dead plant matter in terrestrial ecosystems, nitrogen oxide production from Arctic and Antarctic snowpacks, and halogenated substances from several terrestrial ecosystems. New studies on UV effects on the decomposition of dead leaf material confirm that these effects are complex and species-specific. Decomposition can be retarded, accelerated or remain unchanged. It has been difficult to relate effects of UV on decomposition rates to leaf litter chemistry, as this is very variable. However, new evidence shows UV effects on some fungi, bacterial communities and soil fauna that could play roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling. An important new result is that not only is nitrogen cycling in soils perturbed significantly by increased UV-B, but that these effects persist for over a decade. As nitrogen cycling is temperature dependent, this finding clearly links the impacts of ozone depletion to the ability of plants to use nitrogen in a warming global environment. There are many other potential interactions between UV and climate change impacts on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles that remain to be quantified. There is also new evidence that UV-B strongly influences aquatic carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and metals cycling that affect a wide range of life processes. UV-B accelerates the decomposition of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) entering the sea via terrestrial runoff, thus having important effects on oceanic carbon cycle dynamics. Since UV-B influences the distribution of CDOM, there is an impact of UV-B on estimates of oceanic productivity based on remote sensing of ocean color. Thus, oceanic productivity estimates based on remote sensing require estimates of CDOM distributions. Recent research shows that UV-B transforms dissolved organic matter to dissolved inorganic carbon and nitrogen, including carbon dioxide and ammonium and to organic substances that are either more or less readily available to micro-organisms. The extent of these transformations is correlated with loss of UV absorbance by the organic matter. Changes in aquatic primary productivity and decomposition due to climate-related changes in circulation and nutrient supply, which occur concurrently with increased UV-B exposure, have synergistic influences on the penetration of light into aquatic ecosystems. New research has confirmed that UV affects the biological availability of iron, copper and other trace metals in aquatic environments thus potentially affecting the growth of phytoplankton and other microorganisms that are involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. There are several instances where UV-B modifies the air-sea exchange of trace gases that in turn alter atmospheric chemistry, including the carbon cycle.