Review: the energetic value of zooplankton and nekton species of the Southern Ocean.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the energy flux through food webs is important for estimating the capacity of marine ecosystems to support stocks of living resources. The energy density of species involved in trophic energy transfer has been measured in a large number of small studies, scattered over a 40-year publication record. Here, we reviewed energy density records of Southern Ocean zooplankton, nekton and several benthic taxa, including previously unpublished data. Comparing measured taxa, energy densities were highest in myctophid fishes (ranging from 17.1 to 39.3 kJ g^-1 DW), intermediate in crustaceans (7.1 to 25.3 kJ g^-1 DW), squid (16.2 to 24.0 kJ g^-1 DW) and other fish families (14.8 to 29.9 kJ g^-1 DW), and lowest in jelly fish (10.8 to 18.0 kJ g^-1

SUBMITTER: Schaafsma FL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6061478 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature