Compared with terrestrial ecosystems, marine ecosystems have a higher proportion of heterotrophic biomass. Building from this observation, we define the North Atlantic biome as the region where the large, lipid-rich copepod Calanus finmarchicus is the dominant mesozooplankton species. This species is superbly adapted to take advantage of the intense pulse of productivity associated with the North Atlantic spring bloom. Most of the characteristic North Atlantic species, including cod, herring, and right whales, rely on C. finmarchicus either directly or indirectly. The notion of a biome rests inherently on an assumption of stability, yet conditions in the North Atlantic are anything but stable. Humans have reduced the abundance of many fish and whales (though some recovery is underway). Humans are also introducing physical and chemical trends associated with global climate change. Thus, the future of the North Atlantic depends on the biome's newest species, Homo sapiens.

中文翻译：

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从浮游生物到鲸鱼的北大西洋生态系统。

与陆地生态系统相比，海洋生态系统具有更高比例的异养生物质。根据此观察结果，我们将北大西洋生物群系定义为大型，富含脂质的pe足类螯虾（Calanus finmarchicus）是中型浮游动物的主要物种的区域。该物种非常适合利用与北大西洋春天开花相关的生产力的强烈脉冲。北大西洋的大多数特征物种，包括鳕鱼，鲱鱼和右鲸，都直接或间接地依赖于芬密梭菌。生物群落的概念固有地基于稳定性的假设，然而北大西洋的条件却并非稳定。人类已经减少了许多鱼类和鲸鱼的数量（尽管正在进行一些恢复）。人类也在引入与全球气候变化有关的物理和化学趋势。因此，北大西洋的未来取决于生物群落的最新物种，智人。