Zooplankton Growth Indicators as a Proxy for Marine Ecosystem Health

Zooplankton play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. Changes in their species composition and population dynamics can lead to structural and functional shifts in the ecosystem. The growth condition and population recruitment rate of zooplankton act as a comprehensive proxy​ for the marine ecosystem. However, research on zooplankton species composition and population dynamics faces considerable challenges due to the complexity of their communities and the difficulties in observation, sampling, and analysis. This study proposes using key growth indicators of selected zooplankton species to assess the health condition of marine ecosystems. Specifically, we examine the seasonal and regional growth variations in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), such as the occurrence and extent of shrinking to infer the status of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Additionally, we employ egg production rates and hatching success of key species of copepods as indicators to evaluate the health of coastal ecosystems. Through these approaches, we aim to establish zooplankton growth metrics as effective proxies for monitoring and indicating marine ecosystem health.