Production of DOC by Calanus finmarchicus, C-glacialis and C-hyperboreus through sloppy feeding and leakage from fecal pellets

• Using C-14-labeled phytoplankton as tracer, we investigated 2 mechanisms of immediate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release during grazing activity of Calanus spp. - sloppy feeding and leakage from newly expelled fecal pellets. Half of the carbon cleared by Calanus spp. was released as DOC through sloppy feeding. Freshly expelled fecal pellets lost more than 20% of their carbon content within the first hour, corresponding to 6% of the carbon cleared. Thus, copepods should not only be considered as an essential link to higher trophic levels, but also as a feedback link to the microbial food web.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

dissolved organic carbon

doc

sloppy feeding

fecal pellets

calanus spp.

dissolved organic-carbon

marine planktonic copepod

disko bay

microbial loop

west greenland

zooplankton

bacteria

assimilation

ingestion

behavior

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)