Extracellular vesicles as signaling mediators in aquatic ecosystems

Biological information transfer plays a central role in many aquatic ecological interactions, yet how complex molecular signals are stabilized, packaged, and translated into phenotypic responses remains poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are established carriers of proteins, lipids, metabolites, and nucleic acids, but their ecological significance cannot be inferred from cargo features alone. In this opinion article, we propose a conditional framework in which EV-mediated information transfer becomes ecologically meaningful when vesicle-associated features reflect donor or environmental context, persist during transfer, reach competent recipients above functional thresholds, and modify recipient phenotype. Focusing on aquatic eukaryotes, and drawing on well-established evidence from microbial vesicle research, we link EV-mediated information transfer to phenotypic plasticity and potential eco-evolutionary trajectories while outlining experimental criteria for testing this hypothesis.