Zooplankton diversity, abundance, and species composition across an oxygen gradient in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific

Abstract

[Author's Abstract] Dissolved oxygen is necessary for aerobic respiration, and therefore can influence zooplankton communities. I examined how an oxygen gradient in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific impacted zooplankton diversity, abundance, and species composition. Predominately, low levels of oxygen decreased total biomass of zooplankton, which has larger implications for food webs and carbon transport. Additionally, it is evident that some species of zooplankton can thrive in low levels of oxygen while others avoid it completely.