Vertical migration of copepods

Abstract

Diel vertical migration (DVM) by herbivorous copepods is a nearly universal feature of pelagic ecosystems. The ecosystem consequences of this behavior are less well understood. A simulation of copepod life cycles in the northern North Sea examines migration in terms of reproductive success at diapause. Different patterns of vertical migration appear to be less important than mixed strategies for onset of diapause to cope with interannual variability in the physical environment.