Variation of vitamin C in some common species of marine plankton

Abstract

Occurrence of vitamin C, observed in 26 species of the major zooplankton taxa, confirms the ubiquity of this essential micronutrient in eukaryotes. Short-and long-term variations of vitamin C in copepods reflected the dependence of vitamin incorporation upon phytoplankton. The link existing between the source of vitamin C, or its precursor, and the rank of the organisms in the marine food-chain is illustrated by the significant difference found between carnivorous and omnivorous/herbivor-ous species. Copepods and their fecal pellets are substantial carriers of vitamin C, constituting a potential pathway from phytoplankton to consumers in higher trophic levels and probably unable to synthesize this molecule. Information about properties and functions of vitamin C, known for plants and vertebrates, is scant in zooplankton, although it could be relevant to plankton ecology involving feeding, reproduction and growth.