Semi-Annual Cycles in the Biotic Communities of Temperate Aquatic Habitats

Abstract

Recurring patterns in biosphere dynamics are anchored in daily and seasonal oscillations in abiotic variables driven by Earths obliquity, rotation, and orbit. While circadian and annual biotic cycles are well studied, persistent supra- or subannual cycles in biotic systems are rarely documented globally. Here, we apply a machine learning approach to DNA metabarcoding time series and detect a biotic semi-annual cycle expressed across aquatic communities in temperate regions across taxonomic domains. We propose that this dynamic reflects a semi-annual mode in insolation and is suppressed under conditions of limited nutrients or sunlight. Our results suggest photoautotrophs are central for the aetiology of the biotic SAM, while demonstrating that it is a community-level phenomena not attributable to single species. The regularity of the biotic SAM suggests value for anticipating less predictable ecological events, including phytoplankton blooms. Overall, our results highlight Earth system-scale forcing of local dynamics and reinforce coupling patterns.