Plankton net mesh size influences the resultant diversity and abundance estimates of copepods in tropical oligotrophic ecosystems

Quantitative assessment of planktonic organisms is a key issue in understanding biodiversity, biomass, and carbon fluxes marine ecosystems during the ongoing Anthropocene. However, implications choice plankton sampling equipment tropical have not been fully addressed. The goal this study was to investigate abundance diversity copepods derived from two different mesh sizes, 120 300 μm, determine differences that may change our perception actual role ecosystems, due fact missing information be real problem trophic estimations (e.g. benthic-pelagic coupling processes coastal areas). Samples were collected along 650 km coastline Equatorial Atlantic. average calculated using μm net five times higher than net. species richness when compared μm. Using net, number exclusive taxa (not found sampling) higher. Venn diagram showed 10% copepod recorded exclusively whereas only 30% occurred To improve structure functioning nets with smaller openings should always used estimate because dominance small nutrient-poor food webs, giving new perspective on available energy water column benthic suspension feeding organisms. absence these will produce an inaccurate picture communities their contributions other levels, including blue budget estimates worldwide.