Zooplankton are small, mostly drifting animals that inhabit the water column of marine and freshwater systems and are transported largely by currents rather than by their own locomotion. They span a wide taxonomic range, including copepods, cladocerans, rotifers, ostracods, krill, and the larval stages of many large…
Zooplankton are small, mostly drifting animals that inhabit the water column of marine and freshwater systems and are transported largely by currents rather than by their own locomotion. They span a wide taxonomic range, including copepods, cladocerans, rotifers, ostracods, krill, and the larval stages of many larger animals, and they vary from microscopic forms to centimeter-scale crustaceans such as Antarctic krill. As primary consumers that graze on phytoplankton and as prey for fish, marine mammals, and seabirds, zooplankton occupy a pivotal position in aquatic food webs, transferring energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels. They also contribute to biogeochemical cycling, including the downward export of carbon through sinking material and vertical migration. Research relevant to this area examines zooplankton density and its enhancement through pond fertilization to support the growth of fish larvae in aquaculture, and the ecological importance of krill in pelagic food webs that sustain baleen whales and other predators, including ecosystem-based management of Antarctic krill under potential climate change. Related work considers factors affecting fish populations, water-quality influences on aquatic communities, and the distribution of planktonic and gelatinous organisms. The field integrates plankton ecology, fisheries science, and oceanography to understand zooplankton dynamics and their role in productivity, food webs, and aquatic ecosystem function.
7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 7 articles above have been cited 12 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Zooplankton, linking to each citing work.