zooplanktonsuch

Zooplanktonsuch is not a recognized taxonomic term; the phrase appears to be a typographical artifact of writing “zooplankton such as.” This article treats zooplankton in general, describing their characteristics, roles, and ecological importance.

Zooplankton are heterotrophic aquatic organisms that drift or swim weakly in the water column. They range from microscopic copepods and krill to gelatinous forms such as salps, larvaceans, and the larval stages of many larger animals. They feed on phytoplankton, bacteria, and microzooplankton, and, in turn, are a primary food source for larger predators including fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Their distribution spans freshwater, brackish, and marine environments.

Life cycles in zooplankton vary. Some species are holoplanktonic, spending their entire life cycle as plankton (for example many copepods and some jellyfish), while others are meroplanktonic, existing as larvae that later settle into benthic or nektonic adult forms (such as the larvae of mollusks, echinoderms, and fish). Size ranges from micrometers to several centimeters, and many zooplankton display rapid reproductive cycles in productive waters.

Ecologically, zooplankton are central to energy flow in aquatic ecosystems. They transfer energy from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels and contribute to the biological carbon pump through respiration and excretion. Many species undertake diel vertical migration, rising to feed near the surface at night and descending during daylight, affecting nutrient mixing and carbon dynamics.

Zooplankton communities are sensitive indicators of environmental change. They are studied with net tows, imaging, and acoustic methods, and their composition responds to temperature, salinity, ocean acidification, and nutrient availability, with implications for fisheries and ecosystem health.