Some of the smallest marine species are actually the most important because all other life depends on them. Phytoplankton are probably the m
Some of the smallest marine species are actually the most important because all other life depends on them. Phytoplankton are probably the most important, but just above them in the food chain are zooplankton. In Norway's cold Atlantic waters, the zooplankton in question is generally a small copepod called Calanus finmarchicus. Researchers have now investigated how Calanus copepods react to rising temperatures and changing access to food. Calanus copepods thrive best in cold waters. There is strong evidence that the species has already started migrating northwards because the ocean has become warmer. Given that the planet's average temperature is rising, this news is not very encouraging. The paper is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
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