Modeling patterns of zooplankton diel vertical migration

Diel vertical migration of Arctic zooplankton during the polar night

High-latitude environments show extreme seasonal variation in physical and biological variables. The classic paradigm of Arctic marine ecosystems holds that most biological processes slow down or cease during the polar night. One key process that is generally assumed to cease during winter is diel vertical migration (DVM) of zooplankton. DVM constitutes the largest synchronized movement of biom...

The adaptive significance of diel vertical migration of zooplankton

Many taxa of both marine and freshwater zooplankton perform diel vertical migrations with amplitudes from a few to 100 metres (Hutchinson, 1967). The 'normal' pattern is an evening ascent and a morning descent, though several cases of 'reversed' migrations have been described (Ohman, Frost & Cohen, 1983; Bayly, 1986). Migrating animals spend the day in deep waters but stay near the surface at n...

Diel vertical migration of Arctic zooplankton during the polar

Circadian Clock Involvement in Zooplankton Diel Vertical Migration

Biological clocks are a ubiquitous ancient and adaptive mechanism enabling organisms to anticipate environmental cycles and to regulate behavioral and physiological processes accordingly [1]. Although terrestrial circadian clocks are well understood, knowledge of clocks in marine organisms is still very limited [2-5]. This is particularly true for abundant species displaying large-scale rhythms...

Diel vertical migration

In this Quick Guide, Brierley provides a brief overview of a pervasive aspect of aquatic ecosystems, the daily movement of organisms up and down the water column.