Zooplankton and the Ocean Carbon Cycle (Steinberg 2017 paper)

last lecture 4/30

Pelagic

Relating to the open sea or ocean, away from the coast or seabed.

Trophic

Relating to nutrition or feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

Biogeochemical cycles

The pathways through which chemical substances move through biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components of Earth.

Taxa

A group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen to form a unit.

Protistan

refers to single-celled eukaryotic organisms (protists), many of which are planktonic

Metazoan

Multicellular animals.

Egested

Discharge or excretion of undigested material as waste.

Flagellates

A group of protists characterized by the presence of flagella, which are whip-like appendages used for movement.

Prokaryote

A microscopic single-celled organism that has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles.

Archaea

Single-celled microorganisms that are similar to bacteria, but distinct from them; often found in extreme environments.

Cyanobacteria

A phylum of bacteria that obtain energy through photosynthesis; often referred to as blue-green algae.

Ciliates

A group of protists characterized by the presence of cilia, small hair-like structures used for movement and feeding.

Dinoflagellates

A group of single-celled eukaryotic algae, many of which are planktonic.

Mixotrophy

The ability of an organism to use both photosynthesis and consumption of other organisms as sources of energy and nutrients.

Copepods

A group of small crustaceans that are often the most abundant zooplankton in marine environments.

Nauplii

The free-swimming larval stage of some crustaceans, such as copepods.

Detritus

Non-living particulate organic matter.

Tunicates

A group of marine animals that filter feed using a 'tunic' or outer covering; includes appendicularians, salps, and doliolids.

Pteropods

Small, swimming sea snails.

Bacterioplankton

Bacteria that live in the water column of oceans and other bodies of water.

Raptorial

Adapted for seizing prey; predatory.

Chaetognaths

Small, transparent, marine predatory worms, also known as arrow worms.

Ctenophores

Gelatinous marine animals commonly known as comb jellies