Grazing rates and behaviors of Neocalanus plumchrus: implications for phytoplankton control in the subarctic Pacific
Landry, M.R.; Lehner-Fournier, J.M. (1988). Grazing rates and behaviors of Neocalanus plumchrus: implications for phytoplankton control in the subarctic Pacific, in: Boxshall, G.A. et al. Biology of copepods: Proceedings of the third international conference on Copepoda. Developments in Hydrobiology, 47: pp. 9-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3103-9_2 In: Boxshall, G.A.; Schminke, H.K. (Ed.) (1988). Biology of copepods: Proceedings of the third international conference on Copepoda. Developments in Hydrobiology, 47. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht/Boston/London. ISBN 978-94-010-7895-5; e-ISBN 978-94-009-3103-9. XII, 639 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3103-9, more In: Dumont, H.J. (Ed.) Developments in Hydrobiology. Kluwer Academic/Springer: The Hague; London; Boston; Dordrecht. ISSN 0167-8418, more |
| Keywords | Copepoda [WoRMS]; Neocalanus Sars G.O., 1925 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | Copepod; Grazing rates; Clearance efficiency; Phytoplankton control |
| Authors | | Top | - Landry, M.R.
- Lehner-Fournier, J.M.
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| Abstract | Grazing rates and behaviors of the copcpod Neocalanus plumchrus were investigated in shipboard experiments during the first SUPER Program cruise (May, 1984). N. plumchrus can exploit cells in the 2 to 30 µm size range with equal clearance efficiency but displays considerable flexibility in responding to changes in concentration and size composition. Its functional response helps to stabilize phytoplankton at low densities. In 60-liter microcosms, a density of one copepod liter-1 was sufficient to maintain the ambient abundance and structure of the phytoplankton community for a week. In the absence of the copepod, phytoplankton bloomed to unnaturally high levels, and the community composition was dramatically altered. Despite its grazing potential. N. plumchrus was not present in sufficient density to control phytoplankton blooms in the subarctic Pacific. However, the copepod may have an important role in regulating the abundance of smaller grazers and the size structure of the phytoplankton community. |
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