Author: Karaköylü Erdem M. Franks Peter J. S.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISSN: 1464-3774
Source: Journal of Plankton Research, Vol.34, Iss.1, 2012-01, pp. : 55-71
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Abstract
Copepod grazing is a fundamental link between autotrophs and heterotrophs, affecting the particle size spectrum, modifying trophic interactions for a wide range of organisms, and playing a potentially significant role in the carbon cycle. A considerable amount of work has been done to quantify and understand feeding in copepods from a behavioral, physiological and ecological standpoint. An impressive body of knowledge has accumulated as a result. However, some of the methods used to experimentally determine copepod grazing have known, un-quantified problems. The small size of individual copepods requires the use of multiple animals, thereby introducing poorly understood variability. Digestion and gut dynamics in copepods are not fully understood either. Here we propose an approach to measure grazing that aims to be complementary to past contributions. Using a novel planar laser imaging technique, we have quantified grazing (pellet evacuation rates and gut clearance rates,
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