The ciliate-copepod link in marine ecosystems

AME Aquatic Microbial Ecology Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials AME 38:157-167 (2005) - doi:10.3354/ame038157 The ciliate-copepod link in marine ecosystems Albert Calbet*, Enric Saiz Institut de Ciències del Mar-CMIMA (CSIC), P. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain *Email: acalbet@icm.csic.es ABSTRACT: We show the results of a comparative, cross-ecosystem, analysis of the relative importance of ciliates as carbon sources for copepod, and, specifically, evaluated the strength of the ciliate-copepod trophic link. Although phytoplankton represent, globally, a far higher biomass than ciliates (>1 order of magnitude), the consumption of the latter nevertheless comprises, on average, 30% of copepod daily carbon rations (ciliates + phytoplankton). The relative importance of ciliate consumption by copepods clearly depends on the trophic state of the system. In regions where phytoplankton concentrations are low (500 µgC l-1, respectively. From a biogeochemical point of view, our carbon budget estimates indicate that copepods process, on a global scale, 5.5 to 8.1 gigaton (Gt) phytoplankton-derived C yr-1; from the heterotrophic side, this flux would represent 2.0 to 2.4 Gt ciliate-derived C yr-1 and, probably, a higher value would be obtained if other microheterotrophs, like heterotrophic dinoflagellates, were included. Hence, the flux of carbon from ciliates, and other microzooplankton, towards upper trophic levels should definitely be considered in oceanic biogeochemical cycles and pelagic food web models. KEY WORDS: Ciliates · Microzooplankton · Copepods · Mesozooplankton · Feeding · Biogeochemical cycles · Remineralization · Food webs · Marine Full article in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AME Vol. 38, No. 2. Online publication date: February 09, 2005 Print ISSN: 0948-3055; Online ISSN: 1616-1564 Copyright © 2005 Inter-Research.