The copepod connection - new C-BLUES study

A recent study by Kristina Ø. Kvile, Marc Anglès d'Auriac, Dag Altin, Rolf Erik Olsen, and Kasper Hancke and supported by C-BLUES has unveiled an underexplored pathway in the marine carbon cycle: the potential role of the pelagic copepod Calanus finmarchicus in consuming kelp detritus. C. finmarchicus is a key zooplankton species, and the study looks at its ability to feed on detritus from two dominant kelp species, Saccharina latissima and Laminaria hyperborea.

Key findings include:

• Experimental results indicate that C. finmarchicus can ingest kelp particles, though at a reduced rate compared to its usual phytoplankton diet. This suggests a novel novel food web pathway for kelp carbon.

• Intriguingly, L. hyperborea appears to contain substances toxic to copepods, potentially explaining why some kelp detritus resists degradation and contributes to deep-sea carbon sequestration.

• If copepods can process kelp detritus, this would represent an important, previously undescribed pathway for transferring carbon from coastal ecosystems to the deep sea.

While these findings are preliminary, they open exciting avenues for further research into the role of zooplankton in global carbon cycling and the ecological significance of kelp forests.

This study underscores the complexity of marine ecosystems and highlights the need for continued exploration of blue carbon pathways. Read the article here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/maec.70002