This special volume of Advances in Marine Biology covers in detail the biology of calanoid copepods. Copepods are probably the most numerous multicellular organisms on earth. They are aquatic animals that live in both marine and fresh water, and are of prime importance in marine ecosystems as they form a direct link between phytoplankton and fish. This volume is essential for all marine biologists.Advances in Marine Biology contains up-to-date reviews of all areas of marine science, including fisheries science and macro/micro fauna. Each volume contains peer-reviewed papers detailing the ecology of marine regions.
Copepods, or more commonly referred to as the "insects of the sea", have successfully colonised every aquatic environment, equating insects in terms of absolute and relative success. They represent up to 90-97% of the marine zooplankton biomass, but may also be conspicuous in freshwater systems. Copepods are the linchpin of aquatic foodwebs; they prey upon phytoplankton while simultaneously acting as a staple food for higher trophic level organisms, contribute to the vertical fluxes of carbon and sustain recycled production through the excretion of ammonia. Copepods can also signal possible climate change and are indicators of the effects of ocean acidification. They are also used as model animals for ecotoxicological and molecular studies, and might be adopted as control agents of disease vectors.Current studies are rapidly exploring multiple lines of research with an intended purpose to provide an up-to-date snapshot of some hot topics in the study of the distribution, biology and ecology of these ubiquitous crustaceans. The chapters collected in this volume, written by leading scientists in different fields of investigation, focus on a wide range of processes and scales, from global distribution to molecular investigations, witnessing the interest of the scientific community at different levels. These contributions point out the latest developments and case studies on a number of research issues, and will promote discussion and stimulate advances in each field of investigation. The editor is confident that readers will appreciate the contents of each chapter and will find in them inspiring suggestions for their research, or even just to satisfy their curiosity.
Copepods are among the most abundant multi-celled organisms on Earth and can literally be found everywhere there is (even not so much) water. This very diverse group of small (typically in the 1-10 mm range) crustaceans -- known for more than two millennia -- exhibit a range of free living forms, either in the open water or in various types of sediments. They are also often found as both internal and external parasites of most phyla of animals in water. Copepods also play a fundamental ecological role in the open waters of lakes, rivers, estuaries and oceans. They are the classical herbivorous link between the primary production of phytoplankton and the larvae and juveniles of fishes -- hence ultimately whales and fisheries -- in most pelagic ecosystems. In oligotrophic waters, copepods also play an essential role in transferring (i) the organic carbon released by phytoplankton (ie: up to 50% of the carbon fixed through photosynthesis) and subsequently assimilated by heterotrophic bacteria, and (ii) the inorganic carbon fixed by prokaryotic and eukaryotic picoplankton (ie: up to 70 % of the carbon fixation in oligotrophic systems) towards higher trophic levels through copepod grazing on microzooplankton (ie: heterotrophic flagellates and ciliated protozoans).
The importance of copepods in aquaculture has long been recognized, especially in the larval rearing of many marine fishes. This timely publication provides a single source of information on copepod biology, culture methods and practical use in marine finfish hatcheries. Originating out of a workshop held on copepods by the Oceanic Institute in Hawaii, this proceedings includes review articles and papers presented by leading international experts in copepod biology and aquaculture. It is a seminal work that integrates the most up-to-date information on selecting copepod species, effects of algal species on reproduction, ways to increase production, the nutritional value of copepods, behavioral characteristics of copepods, potential use of copepod nauplii and eggs, and their application to larval rearing of various marine finfish species.
This work provides a user-friendly, species level taxonomic key based on morphology, current nomenclature, and modern taxonomy using molecular tools which fulfill the most pressing needs of both researchers and environmental managers. This key arms the reader with the tools necessary to improve their species identification abilities. This book resolves another issue as well: the mix of female and male characters used in keys to the calanoid copepods. Often, during the identification process, both calanoid copepod sexes are not available, and the user of such a key is stuck with an uncertain identification. Here, separate male and female keys to the calanoid copepods are provided for both the genera and species levels.
The coastal and ocean ecosystem is a significant feature of our planet and provides a source of food for much of life on Earth. Millions of species have been, and are still being discovered in the world’s oceans. Among these zooplankton serve as secondary producers and are significant as they form pelagic food links and act as indicators of water masses. They constitute the largest and most reliable source of protein for most of the ocean’s fishes. As such, their absence or depletion often affects fishery. In many countries, the decline in fishery has been attributed to reduced plankton populations. Furthermore, trillions of tiny copepods produce countless faecal pellets contributing greatly to the marine snow and therefore accelerating the flow of nutrients and minerals from the surface waters to the seabed. They are phylogenetically highly successful groups in terms of phylogenetic age, number of living species and success of adaptive radiation. A study of the basic and applied aspects of zooplankton would provide an index of the fishery potential and applications, offering insights into ocean ecology to safeguard food supplies and livelihoods of the millions of people living in coastal areas. For this reason, we need to understand all the facets of zooplankton as well as their interactions with atmosphere and other life forms, including human. In this context, this book discusses the basic and applied aspects of zooplankton, especially taxonomy, mosquitocidal activity, culture, analysis of nutritional, pigments and enzyme profile, preservation of copepods eggs, bioenrichment of zooplankton and application of zooplankton in sustainable aquaculture production, focusing on novel biofloc-copefloc technologies, and the impact of acidification and microplastics on zooplankton. Offering a comprehensive overview of the current issues and developments in the field of environmental and commercial applications, this book is a valuable resource for researchers, aquaculturists, environmental mangers wanting to understand the importance of zooplankton and develop technologies for the sustainable production of fish and other commodities to provide food and livelihoods for mankind.
