Search

Abstract Introduction and objectives Postchemotherapy residual tumor resection (PC-RTR) is an important part of the multimodal treatment for patients with metastatic germ cell tumors. Simultaneous retroperitoneal and thoracic metastases often require consecutive surgical procedures. This study analyzes the histologic findings after abdominal and thoracic surgery in order to tailor the sequence and intensity of surgery. Patients and methods From a total of 671 PC-RTRs from 2008 to 2021 we analyzed 50 patients with stage III non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) who had undergone both retroperitoneal and thoracic postchemotherapy residual tumor resection after first-line and salvage chemotherapy. Results All patients included had stage III NSGCT. 39 and 11 patients received first-line and salvage chemotherapy, respectively. 45 (90%) patients received retroperitoneal resection first, followed by thoracic surgery. Three patients (6%) underwent thoracic surgery before retroperitoneal surgery and two patients (4%) underwent simultaneous surgery. Overall, the histology of retroperitoneal and thoracic specimens was discordant in 23% of cases. After first-line chemotherapy, of fourteen patients with necrosis in retroperitoneal histology, four patients had vital carcinoma in lung histology. In patients with teratoma in the retroperitoneum, the thoracic findings were concordant in most cases (78%). When teratomatous elements were also present in the orchiectomy specimen, concordance was 100%. After salvage chemotherapy, the discordance rate was 55%. Conclusion The data presented in this study underline that retroperitoneal residual masses with necrosis cannot reliably predict histologic findings of thoracic specimens. Patients with teratoma in the retroperitoneum have a high likelihood of teratoma in the thoracic specimen.

This paper presents the open-source Python software OSADCP developed for the processing of vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (VMADCP) data. At this stage, the toolbox is designed for processing VMADCP measurements from open-ocean applications of Teledyne RDI Ocean Surveyor ADCPs and the data acquisition software VMDAS. Based on the VMDAS ENX binary output format, the software contains implementations for cleaning and vector-averaging of single-ping velocity data, verification of the position data, and applying misalignment and amplitude corrections. The procedures of OSADCP are described in detail to encourage the scientific community to use it for their own purposes. The toolbox is an integral part of a workflow implemented on the German marine research vessels in the framework of the Underway Research Data project of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM). It aims to ensure standardized data acquisition measures, reliable data transfer from the ADCP to shore both near-real-time and in delayed-mode, processing and quality control, and dissemination of the curated data product in the data repository PANGAEA. From PANGAEA, data sets are forwarded to the European marine data hubs Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet. The workflow that forms the framework for OSADCP is described here as an example of scientific data management that follows the FAIR data guidelines.

Viruses play a crucial role in regulating prokaryotic populations, yet their impact on subsurface environments, specifically groundwater habitats, remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed the virus-dilution approach to measure lytic virus production rates in shallow groundwater located near the city of Vienna (Austria) during the period from July-November 2020. Physico-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, water temperature, concentration of dissolved oxygen), prokaryotic, and viral abundance, and viral decay rates were monitored as well. Our findings revealed low virus-to-prokaryote ratios varying between 0.9-3.9 throughout the study period and a lack of correlation between prokaryotic and viral abundance in groundwater. Virus production rates varied between 9-12% of viral abundance h-1 in July-August and between 34-36% of viral abundance h-1 in October-November. Seasonal variations in virus production rates were found to be correlated with electrical conductivity, revealing ~3.5 times higher virus production rates during periods with high electrical conductivity and low groundwater recharge in October-November compared to July-August with higher groundwater recharge and lower electrical conductivity. Our data indicate that groundwater recharge disrupts the balance between virus and prokaryotic host communities, resulting in a deficiency of suitable prokaryotic host cells for viral proliferation.

This research examined the positivity ratio of Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) antibodies in cattle and sheep within Namibia’s Omaheke region after a human disease outbreak in the same geographical area. A total of 200 samples (100 cattle and 100 sheep) were randomly collected from animals brought to two regional auction sites, and then tested using the ID Screen® CCHF Double Antigen Multi-Species Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kit. Of the cattle samples, 36% tested positive, while 22% of the sheep samples were seropositive. The cattle had a significantly higher positivity ratio than sheep at the individual animal level (p = 0.0291). At the herd level, 62.5% of cattle herds and 45.5% of sheep flocks had at least one positive animal, but this difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.2475). The fourteen cattle farms with at least one seropositive animal were dispersed across the Omaheke region. In contrast, the ten sheep farms with seropositive cases were predominantly situated in the southern half of the region. The study concluded that the CCHF is endemic in the Omaheke region and likely in most of Namibia, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of CCHFV on animal health and potential spillover into human populations.

Adaptive immunity depends on cellular chaperone and quality control systems that are decisive for an effective presentation of foreign antigens via MHC I molecules. Here, the authors present the structure of a key chaperone-MHC I complex.

The immune system monitors the health status of cells by surveilling fragments of foreign molecules from invaders presented on MHC I complexes at the cell surface. Here, the authors investigate the sequence of events of MHC I assembly and quality control cycle.

Adaptive immune responses are triggered by antigenic peptides presented on major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) at the surface of pathogen-infected or cancerous cells. Formation of stable peptide-MHC I complexes is facilitated by tapasin and TAPBPR, two related MHC I-specific chaperones that catalyze selective loading of suitable peptides onto MHC I in a process called peptide editing or proofreading. On their journey to the cell surface, MHC I complexes must pass a quality control step performed by UGGT1, which senses the folding status of the transiting N-linked glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). UGGT1 reglucosylates non-native glycoproteins and thereby allows them to revisit the ER folding machinery. Here, we describe a reconstituted in-vitro system of purified human proteins that enabled us to delineate the function of TAPBPR during the UGGT1-catalyzed quality control and reglucosylation of MHC I. By combining glycoengineering with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we show that TAPBPR promotes reglucosylation of peptide-free MHC I by UGGT1. Thus, UGGT1 cooperates with TAPBPR in fulfilling a crucial function in the quality control mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation.

Hydroacoustic observations of shallow marine environments reveal a variety of seafloor structures–both of natural and anthropogenic origin. Natural processes can result in features with circular geometries on the seafloor, such as kettles, sinkholes or iceberg pits, but human activities such as dredging, dumping, or detonating explosives can also cause similar shapes. Explaining the origin of these features is difficult if there are only few observations or if competing natural and anthropogenic processes have acted in the same area. Even though the location of dredging and dumping operations and munition blasting may be well documented in many parts of the global coastal ocean today, little information might be available about human practices in the past. In this study, more than 3,000 circular features were identified in side-scan sonar (SSS) datasets covering 1,549 km2 of shallow waters in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Additional data obtained by multibeam echosounder (MBES), sub-bottom profiler (SBP), and different SSS was considered in the analysis of 205 circular features that were characterized based on their sedimentology, morphology, SSS and SBP acoustic signatures. Characteristic differences between the structures allow their classification into six classes, which provide insight into their formation mechanisms. The obtained parameters (morphology, MBES and SSS acoustic backscatter, SBP characteristics and spatial distribution) allow the classification to be applied to the entire SSS dataset, resulting in the classification of 2,903 features. The mapped circular features have diameters between 6 and 77 m and correspond to pockmarks, dumping spots and explosion craters in water depths ranging from 8 m up to 25 m. Despite this rather multi-methodological approach, the origin of some observed features still cannot be explained with certainty, leaving room for further investigations of natural processes and human impacts on the seafloor.

Subterranean estuaries are connective zones between inland aquifers and the open sea where terrestrial freshwater and circulating seawater mix and undergo major biogeochemical changes. They are biogeochemical reactors that modify groundwater chemistry prior to discharge into the sea. We propose that subterranean estuaries of high-energy beaches are particularly dynamic environments, where the effect of the dynamic boundary conditions propagates tens of meters into the subsurface, leading to strong spatio-temporal variability of geochemical conditions. We hypothesize that they form a unique habitat with an adapted microbial community unlike other typically more stable subsurface environments. So far, however, studies concerning subterranean estuaries of high-energy beaches have been rare and therefore their functioning, and their importance for coastal ecosystems, as well as for carbon, nutrient and trace element cycling, is little understood. We are addressing this knowledge gap within the interdisciplinary research project DynaDeep by studying the combined effect of surface (hydro- and morphodynamics) on subsurface processes (groundwater flow and transport, biogeochemical reactions, microbiology). A unique subterranean estuary observatory was established on the northern beach of the island of Spiekeroog facing the North Sea, serving as an exemplary high-energy research site and model system. It consists of fixed and permanent infrastructure such as a pole with measuring devices, multi-level groundwater wells and an electrode chain. This forms the base for autonomous measurements, regular repeated sampling, interdisciplinary field campaigns and experimental work, all of which are integrated via mathematical modelling to understand and quantify the functioning of the biogeochemical reactor. First results show that the DynaDeep observatory is collecting the intended spatially and temporally resolved morphological, sedimentological and biogeochemical data. Samples and data are further processed ex-situ and combined with experiments and modelling. Ultimately, DynaDeep aims at elucidating the global relevance of these common but overlooked environments.

Abstract Grid connection of remote offshore wind‐parks uses high‐voltage direct current technology and in order to reduce costs and losses and maximise profitability, semiconductor power losses must be minimised. To properly choose the semiconductors, it is necessary to estimate their losses for a large number of operating conditions. This article deals with a modelling approach to calculate power losses for many such operating conditions, based on measured semiconductor characteristics and the chosen multilevel modulation strategy. The case of the integrated gate‐commutated thyristor is considered because, for a given device rating, it is possible to select an integrated gate‐commutated thyristor benefiting from the best trade‐off between on‐state losses and turn‐off losses, thus minimising the power losses of the two end‐stations.

Germ cell cancers are the most common solid tumors among men between 15 and 40 years. Non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs) represent a unique and exclusive cohort of germ cell tumor patients. Non-seminoma can harbor different histologic components. The most commonly found histologies are embryonal cell cancer, teratoma, yolk sack tumor and choriocarcinoma, as well as teratocarcinoma and seminoma, in combination with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors histologic types. The clinical definition of stage I non-seminoma is the absence of metastatic lesions on imaging and normal tumor markers. The cure rate for clinical stage I NSGCT is 99% and this can be achieved by three therapeutic strategies: Active surveillance with treatment at the time of relapse, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection or adjuvant chemotherapy. The balancing of these various strategies should always be based on an individual risk profile of NGSCG patient depending on the lymphovascular invasion of the tumor.

Mobile coastal sediments, such as sand and gravel, build up and protect wave-dominated coastlines. In sediment-starved coastal environments, knowledge about the natural sources and transport pathways of those sediments is of utmost importance for the understanding and management of coastlines. Along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), the retreat of active cliffs—made of cohesive Pleistocene deposits—supplies a wide size range of sediments to the coastal system. The material is reworked and sorted by hydrodynamic forcing: the less mobile stones and boulders remain close to the source area; the finest sediments, mostly clay and silt, are transported offshore into areas of low energy; and the fractions of sand and fine gravels mostly remain in the nearshore zone, where they make up the littoral sediment budget. They contribute to the morphodynamic development of sandy coastlines and nearshore bar systems. Exemplarily for this coastal stretch and based on an extensive review of local studies we quantify the volume of the potential littoral sediment budget from cliff retreat. At an average retreat rate of 0.24 m yr−1 (−1), the assessment indicates a weighted average sediment volume of 1.5 m3 yr−1 m−1 (3 yr−1 m−1) per meter active cliff. For the whole area, this results in an absolute sediment budget Vs,total of 39,000–161,000 m3 yr−1. The accuracy of the results is limited by system understanding and data quality and coverage. The study discusses uncertainties in the calculation of littoral sediment budgets from cliff retreat and provides the first area-wide budget assessment along the sediment-starved Baltic Sea coastline of Schleswig-Holstein.

Abstract A series of multibeam bathymetry surveys revealed the emergence of a large pockmark field in the southeastern North Sea. Covering an area of around 915 km2, up to 1,200 pockmarks per square kilometer have been identified. The time of emergence can be confined to 3 months in autumn 2015, suggesting a very dynamic genesis. The gas source and the trigger for the simultaneous outbreak remain speculative. Subseafloor structures and high methane concentrations of up to 30 μmol/l in sediment pore water samples suggest a source of shallow biogenic methane from the decomposition of postglacial deposits in a paleo river valley. Storm waves are suggested as the final trigger for the eruption of the gas. Due to the shallow water depths and energetic conditions at the presumed time of eruption, a large fraction of the released gas must have been emitted to the atmosphere. Conservative estimates amount to 5 kt of methane, equivalent to 67% of the annual release from the entire North Sea. These observations most probably describe a reoccurring phenomenon in shallow shelf seas, which may have been overlooked before because of the transient nature of shallow water bedforms and technology limitations of high resolution bathymetric mapping.

In the Baltic Sea redoxcline, lysogenic viruses infecting prokaryotes have rarely been detected using the commonly used inducing agent mitomycin C. However, it is well known that not all viruses are induceable by mitomycin C and growing evidence suggests that changes in trophic conditions may trigger the induction of lysogenic viruses. We hypothesized that using antibiotics to simulate a strong change in trophic conditions for antibiotica-resistant cells due to reduced competition for resources might lead to the induction of lysogenic viruses into the lytic cycle within these cells. This hypothesis was tested by incubating prokaryotes obtained throughout the Baltic Sea redoxcline in seawater with substantially reduced numbers of viruses. We used a mixture of the protein synthesis-inhibiting antibiotics streptomycin and erythromycin to induce the desired changes in trophic conditions for resistant cells and at the same time ensuring that no progeny viruses were formed in sensitive cells. No inducible lysogenic viruses could be detected in incubations amended with mitomycin C. Yet, the presence of streptomycin and erythromycin increased virus-induced mortality of prokaryotes by 56-930% compared to controls, resulting in the induction of lysogenic viruses equivalent to 2-14% of in situ prokaryotic abundance. The results indicate the existence of a previously unrecognized induction mechanism for lysogenic viruses in the Baltic Sea redoxcline, as the mode of action distinctly differs between the used antibiotics (no virus production within affected cells) and mitomycin C (lysogenic viruses are produced within affected cells). Obtaining accurate experimental data on levels of lysogeny in prokaryotic host cells remains challenging, as relying on mitomycin C alone may severely underestimate lysogeny.

Background: Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) plays a crucial role in treatment of metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell cancer.Objective: To evaluate the functional outcome regarding the preservation of ejaculatory function comparing a bilateral vs. unilateral template resection in PC-RPLND patients. In addition, oncological safety and perioperative complications of the unilateral template resection was compared to the full bilateral one.Design/Setting/Participants: Between 2003 and 2018, 504 RPLNDs have been performed in 434 patients. The database of consecutive patients was queried to identify 171 patients with PC-RPLND after 1st line chemotherapy for a non-seminoma with or without bilateral template resection. Re-Do's, late relapse, salvage patients, and thoraco-abdominal approaches were excluded. Indication for a template resection was a unilateral residual mass mainly

Cobbles and boulders on the seafloor are of high ecological value in their function as habitats for a variety of benthic species, contributing to biodiversity and productivity in marine environments. We investigate the origin, physical shape, and structure of habitat-forming cobbles and boulders and reflect on their dynamics in coastal environments of the southwestern Baltic Sea. Stone habitats are not limited to lag deposits and cannot be sufficiently described as static environments, as different dynamic processes lead to changes within the physical habitat structure and create new habitats in spatially disparate areas. Dynamic processes such as (a) ongoing exposure of cobbles and boulders from glacial till, (b) continuous overturning of cobbles, and (c) the migration of cobbles need to be considered. A distinction between allochthonous and autochthonous habitats is suggested. The genesis of sediment types indicates that stone habitats are restricted to their source (glacial till), but hydrodynamic processes induce a redistribution of individual cobbles, leading to the development of new coastal habitats. Thus, coastal stone habitats need to be regarded as dynamic and are changing on a large bandwidth of timescales. In general, wave-induced processes changing the physical structure of these habitats do not occur separately but rather act simultaneously, leading to a dynamic type of habitat.

Throughout the Baltic Sea redoxcline, virus production and the frequency of lytically-infected prokaryotic cells were estimated from parallel incubations of undiluted seawater and seawater that contained prokaryotes with substantially reduced numbers of viruses (virus dilution approach), effectively preventing viral reinfection during the incubation period. Undiluted seawater incubations resulted in much higher estimates of virus production (6-35×104 mL-1 h-1) and the frequency of infected cells (5-84%) than the virus dilution approach (virus production: 1-3×104 mL-1 h-1; frequency of infected cells: 1-11%). Viral production and the frequency of infected cells from both approaches, however, cannot be directly compared, as data obtained from undiluted incubations were biased by viral reinfection and other uncontrollable processes during the incubation period. High in situ viral abundance (1-2×107 mL-1) together with low virus production rates based on the virus dilution approach resulted in some of the longest viral turnover times (24-84 d) ever reported for the epipelagial. Throughout a wide range of environmental conditions, viral turnover time and burst size were negatively correlated. Given that viral decay estimated in ultra-filtered water was below the detection limit and the burst size was low (1-17), we conclude that prokaryotic viruses in the Baltic Sea redoxcline are investing most of their resources into stress defense (strong capsids) rather than proliferation (high burst size). In summary, the Baltic Sea redoxcline constitutes an environment where low virus production is found in combination with low viral decay, resulting in high viral abundance.

Stones and boulders in shallow waters (0−10 m water depth) form complex geo-habitats, serving as a hardground for many benthic species, and are important contributors to coastal biodiversity and high benthic production. This study focuses on limitations in stone and boulder detection using high-resolution sidescan sonar images in shallow water environments of the southwestern Baltic Sea. Observations were carried out using sidescan sonars operating with frequencies from 450 kHz up to 1 MHz to identify individual stones and boulders within different levels of resolution. In addition, sidescan sonar images were generated using varying survey directions for an assessment of range effects. The comparison of images of different resolutions reveals considerable discrepancies in the numbers of detectable stones and boulders, and in their distribution patterns. Results on the detection of individual stones and boulders at approximately 0.04 m/pixel resolution were compared to common discretizations: it was shown that image resolutions of 0.2 m/pixel may underestimate available hard-ground settlement space by up to 42%. If methodological constraints are known and considered, detailed information about individual stones and boulders, and potential settlement space for marine organisms, can be derived.

The Lao PDR, as did most countries of the Mekong Region, embarked on a pandemic vaccine initiative to counter the threat posed by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Overall, estimated vaccine coverage of the Lao population was 14%, with uptake in targeted health care workers and pregnant women 99% and 41%, respectively. Adverse Events Following Immunization accounted for only 6% of survey driven, reported vaccination experiences, with no severe consequences or deaths. Public acceptability of the vaccine campaign was high (98%). Challenges to vaccine deployment included: 1) no previous experience in fielding a seasonal influenza vaccine, 2) safety and efficacy concerns, and 3) late arrival of vaccine 10 months into the pandemic. The Lao success in surmounting these hurdles was in large measure attributed to the oversight assigned the National Immunization Program, and national sensitivities in responding to the avian influenza A(H5N1) crisis in the years leading up to the pandemic. The Lao "lessons learned" from pandemic vaccine deployment are made even more relevant four years on, given the many avian influenza strains circulating in the region, all with pandemic potential.

Virus particles are highly abundant in seawater and, on average, outnumber microbial cells approximately 10-fold at the surface and 16-fold in deeper waters; yet, this relationship varies across environments. Here, we examine the influence of a suite of environmental variables, including nutrient concentrations, salinity and temperature, on the relationship between the abundances of viruses and prokaryotes over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, including along a track from the Northwest Atlantic to the Northeast Pacific via the Arctic Ocean, and in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Models of varying complexity were tested and compared for best fit with the Akaike Information Criterion, and revealed that nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as prokaryote abundances, either individually or combined, had significant effects on viral abundances in all but hypoxic environments, which were only explained by a combination of physical and chemical factors. Nonetheless, multivariate models of environmental variables showed high explanatory power, matching or surpassing that of prokaryote abundance alone. Incorporating both environmental variables and prokaryote abundances into multivariate models significantly improved the explanatory power of the models, except in hypoxic environments. These findings demonstrate that environmental factors could be as important as, or even more important than, prokaryote abundance in describing viral abundance across wide-ranging marine environments

The aim of this study was to compare the composition of two deep-sea viral communities obtained from the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic Ocean (collected at 5200 m depth) and the southwest Mediterranean Sea (from 2400 m depth) using a pyro-sequencing approach. The results are based on 18.7% and 6.9% of the sequences obtained from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively, with hits to genomes in the non-redundant viral RefSeq database. The identifiable richness and relative abundance in both viromes were dominated by archaeal and bacterial viruses accounting for 92.3% of the relative abundance in the Atlantic Ocean and for 83.6% in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite characteristic differences in hydrographic features between the sampling sites in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, 440 virus genomes were found in both viromes. An additional 431 virus genomes were identified in the Atlantic Ocean and 75 virus genomes were only found in the Mediterranean Sea. The results indicate that the rather contrasting deep-sea environments of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea share a common core set of virus types constituting the majority of both virus communities in terms of relative abundance (Atlantic Ocean: 81.4%; Mediterranean Sea: 88.7%).

One of the challenges in oceanography is to understand the influence of environmental factors on the abundances of prokaryotes and viruses. Generally, conventional statistical methods resolve trends well, but more complex relationships are difficult to explore. In such cases, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) offer an alternative way for data analysis. Here, we developed ANN-based models of prokaryotic and viral abundances in the Arctic Ocean. The models were used to identify the best predictors for prokaryotic and viral abundances including cytometrically-distinguishable populations of prokaryotes (high and low nucleic acid cells) and viruses (high- and low-fluorescent viruses) among salinity, temperature, depth, day length, and the concentration of Chlorophyll-a. The best performing ANNs to model the abundances of high and low nucleic acid cells used temperature and Chl-a as input parameters, while the abundances of high- and low-fluorescent viruses used depth, Chl-a, and day length as input parameters. Decreasing viral abundance with increasing depth and decreasing system productivity was captured well by the ANNs. Despite identifying the same predictors for the two populations of prokaryotes and viruses, respectively, the structure of the best performing ANNs differed between high and low nucleic acid cells and between high- and low-fluorescent viruses. Also, the two prokaryotic and viral groups responded differently to changes in the predictor parameters; hence, the cytometric distinction between these populations is ecologically relevant. The models imply that temperature is the main factor explaining most of the variation in the abundances of high nucleic acid cells and total prokaryotes and that the mechanisms governing the reaction to changes in the environment are distinctly different among the prokaryotic and viral populations.

Flow cytometry is set to become the standard method for enumerating prokaryotes and viruses in marine samples. However, the samples need to be flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen directly after aldehyde fixation. Because liquid nitrogen may not always be available, we tested the potential of sodium azide as a preservative for prokaryotes and viruses in marine samples as a possible alternative. For that we conducted incubation experiments with untreated and sodium azide treated marine water samples at 4°C and room temperature. The data indicate that sodium azide cannot be used to maintain marine samples used for the enumeration of prokaryotes and viruses.

Organisms alter the biotic and abiotic conditions of ecosystems. They can modulate the availability of resources to other species (ecosystem engineering) and shape selection pressures on other organisms (niche construction). Very little is known about how the engineering effects of organisms vary among and within species, and, as a result, the ecosystem consequences of species diversification and phenotypic evolution are poorly understood. Here, using a common gardening experiment, we test whether morphologically similar species and populations of Diaptomidae copepods (Leptodiaptomus ashlandi, Hesperodiaptomus franciscanus, Skistodiaptomus oregonensis) have similar or different effects on the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. We found that copepod species had contrasting effects on algal biomass, ammonium concentrations, and sedimentation rates, and that copepod populations had contrasting effects on prokaryote abundance, sedimentation rates, and gross primary productivity. The average size of ecosystem-effect contrasts between species was similar to those between populations, and was comparable to those between fish species and populations measured in previous common gardening experiments. Our results suggest that subtle morphological variation among and within species can cause multifarious and divergent ecosystem-effects. We conclude that using morphological trait variation to assess the functional similarity of organisms may underestimate the importance of species and population diversity for ecosystem functioning.