Knowledge Tree
zooplankton
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A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Oct 25, 2024 10 facts
claimIn the eastern Chukchi Sea of the Pacific Arctic, reduced sea ice and warmer ocean temperatures have led to longer open-water seasons, higher zooplankton abundance, and increases in boreal fish species, as reported by Mueter et al. (2021).
claimSea ice cover has direct and indirect effects on major zooplankton groups and planktivorous fishes in the Barents Sea, as reported by L. C. Stige, E. Eriksen, P. Dalpadado, and K. Ono in 2019.
claimCapelin compete with Arctic cod for some of the same zooplankton food sources in areas where their northern distributions overlap.
claimChanges in spring blooms and zooplankton biomass affect competition among species at different trophic levels in the Arctic.
claimWarmer conditions and early spring sea-ice melt in the Arctic have led to earlier spring blooms, increased chlorophyll levels, and higher zooplankton biomass that experiences faster turnover, though this biomass consists of smaller, low-nutrient prey species.
claimIn the eastern Chukchi Sea, zooplankton-feeding seabirds like Aethia auklets and short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) were more abundant in offshore waters during the 2000s compared to the fish-eating seabirds (alcids and larids) that dominated the same area from 1974 to 1995.
claimThe distribution of zooplankton, pelagic and benthic invertebrates, and forage fishes influences the migration patterns of upper trophic level vertebrates, including seabirds, marine mammals, and anadromous fishes.
claimIn the Pacific Arctic, longer open water seasons and increased zooplankton productivity have caused planktivorous seabirds to shift their post-breeding movements northward.
referenceSpear et al. (2019) published a study titled 'Physical and biological drivers of zooplankton communities in the Chukchi Sea' in Polar Biology.
measurementDuring the period of 2017–2019, which included multiple marine heatwave events, the Chukchi Sea experienced high biomass of small zooplankton but low abundance of large nutrient-rich copepods and euphausiids, as reported by Spear et al. (2019) and Kim et al. (2020).
Moonlight shapes how some animals move, grow and even sing sciencenews.org Jul 8, 2019 7 facts
claimDuring the Arctic winter, when the sun is absent, zooplankton continue to perform vertical migrations directed by moonlight rather than sunlight.
claimZooplankton, including krill and copepods, perform daily vertical migrations, descending into the ocean around dawn and moving toward the surface at night to graze on phytoplankton.
accountKim Last and colleagues discovered winter migrations of zooplankton across the Arctic by analyzing data from acoustic instruments stationed off Canada, Greenland, Norway, and near the North Pole.
measurementWinter vertical migrations of zooplankton follow a 24.8-hour schedule, which coincides with the length of a lunar day.
measurementDuring the Arctic winter, zooplankton migrations follow a 24.8-hour schedule, which coincides with the length of a lunar day, according to research by Kim Last and colleagues published in 2016 in Current Biology.
claimArctic zooplankton, including krill and copepods, typically follow a 24-hour migration rhythm, descending into the ocean at dawn and rising at night to graze on phytoplankton.
measurementFor approximately six days around a full moon, zooplankton hide at depths of up to 50 meters.
The moon has power over animals - Science News Explores snexplores.org Nov 7, 2019 4 facts
measurementZooplankton migrate to depths of approximately 50 meters (165 feet) for about six days around a full moon.
claimZooplankton in the Arctic perform daily vertical migrations to the depths to avoid predators that hunt by sight.
claimIt is unknown if zooplankton possess a lunar-based biological clock that regulates their winter migration patterns, according to the researcher Last.
claimMoonlight directs the daily vertical migrations of zooplankton in the Arctic during the sunless winter, contradicting previous scientific assumptions that these migrations ceased during that time of year.
Why oysters close on the full moon—and more odd lunar effects on ... nationalgeographic.com Apr 17, 2019 3 facts
claimIn the Arctic, where the sun is absent for months during winter, some zooplankton possess an internal clock regulated by the moon.
measurementArctic zooplankton respond to the lunar cycle, which lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, by rising and diving as the moon rises and sets.
claimZooplankton perform a daily vertical migration, swimming to the surface at night to feed on algae and diving to the depths at dawn to avoid predators that hunt by sight.
Wildlife Wednesdays: Odd Lunar Effects on Sea Animals weatherology.com 2 facts
claimArctic zooplankton take cover during full moon phases because the lunar light allows predators to hunt them, causing the zooplankton to time their feeding to the rising and setting of the Moon.
claimZooplankton migrate to the ocean surface at night to feed on algae, a behavior driven by the need to avoid predators that rely on sight to hunt.
How Does the Moon Affect Marine Life Behavior? | Scuba Diving scubadiving.com Dec 15, 2021 1 fact
claimMoonlight increases the ability of young fish to spot zooplankton prey at night, while simultaneously making it more difficult for predators to approach prey undetected.
From Pole to Shining Pole: Animal Migrations and Changing Climate sos.noaa.gov 1 fact
claimThousands of animal species, ranging from zooplankton to blue whales, migrate annually to follow changing seasons, seek warmer weather, and locate food sources.
Ecologists Study the Interactions of Organisms and Their Environment nature.com 1 fact
claimNutrients from terrestrial systems are transported into lakes and oceans, where primary production by phytoplankton and algae supports communities of zooplankton, fish, sea mammals, and birds.