The effect of phytoplankton properties on the ingestion of marine snow by Calanus pacificus.

ABSTRACT: Marine snow, formed through the aggregation of phytoplankton and other organic matter, can be consumed by various types of zooplankton, affecting both planktonic trophic dynamics and the export of carbon to depth. This study focuses on how two factors-phytoplankton growth phase and species-affect copepod feeding on marine snow. To do this, we conducted a series of grazing experiments using gut pigment and stable isotope methods to quantify the ingestion of the copepod, Calanus pacificus, on both marine snow aggregates and individual phytoplankton. Results demonstrate that marine snow can represent a substantial food source for copepods, comparable to rates on individual phytoplankton. Moreover, we found that both the overall ingestion and the relative ingestion of aggregates vs. ind

SUBMITTER: Cawley GF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8632794 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature