Zooplankton Ecology and Processes

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Be familiar with zooplankton feeding ecology – what they eat and how they are adapted to detect, capture and eat their prey.
• Understand how biotic and abiotic factors regulate zooplankton distribution and abundance.
• Recognise the diversity of zooplankton and be able to identify common species using taxonomic guides.
• Develop practical skills in the areas of taxonomic ID, laboratory and field study design, data handling and multi-media communications.
• Be aware how plankton dynamics and pelagic ecosystem function differ in response to hydroclimatic variability, through tracking of zooplankton indicator species, and use of long-term datasets.
• Understand the key role zooplankton play in marine pelagic food webs.
• Have a good working knowledge of zooplankton sampling methods and open access databases and how to choose the most appropriate methods to answer specific research questions.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Data handling and interpretation
• Library information retrieval
• Digital multi-media communications
• Safe laboratory working practices

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• How to access databases of relevance to international zooplankton research
• Laboratory skills in zooplankton taxonomic identification
• Use of field guides and dichotomous taxonomic keys
• Designing hypothesis-testing laboratory experiments
• Knowledge of contemporary topics in plankton research

INTRODUCTION

Marine zooplankton communities consist of permanent and temporary members, including the larvae of many fish and benthic invertebrates, thus acting as vehicles for population exchange and diversification. Zooplankton play an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems and in biogeochemical cycles, linking pelagic primary production to higher trophic levels, including commercially important fish, mammals and seabirds. In addition to their functional role, marine zooplankton are considered to be excellent indicators of climate change because a) most species are short lived, which leads to tight coupling between environmental change and plankton dynamics, and b) they are free floating, so respond easily to changes in temperature and oceanic current systems by expanding and contracting their ranges.

AIMS and OBJECTIVES

The overall aim is for you to recognise the diversity of marine zooplankton; the factors that regulate their distribution and abundance; and the fundamental role they play in marine pelagic ecosystems. The course consists of 5 topics: 1) Biodiversity, 2) Patterns of distribution; 3) Sampling and monitoring; 4) Feeding and food webs; and 5) Anthropogenic climate change.

1.Introduce zooplankton diversity through taxonomic features and functional biology.

2.Understand how biotic and abiotic factors regulate zooplankton distribution and abundance at various temporal and spatial scales.

3.Learn about the technologies and equipment used to sample plankton in the field and the procedures for laboratory analyses of abundance and biomass.

4.Learn where and how to access plankton data from global databases.

5.Understand the mechanisms by which herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous zooplankton detect, select and ingest their food.

6.Establish the role that zooplankton play in marine pelagic food webs and role in fisheries.

7.Understand how zooplankton are used as indicators of anthropogenic climate change, and how associated conditions affect zooplankton species and ecosystem function.

Lectures, Workshops and Practicals

• Each of the 5 topics lasts 2 weeks.
• All lectures, interactive workshops and practicals will be taught in-person (the 1st time since 2019!).
• Powerpoint & Word files will be made available on Blackboard 1 week before the relevant session. Individuals that require a longer lead-in time should email me at the start of the module.
• Some activities require preparation before the session to maximise their effectiveness and your learning.
• Attendance is expected of interactive workshops and practicals, unless you have a legitimate reason why you can’t make a session.
• There are 2 x 2-hour lab practicals and 1 x 3-hour computer practical. Check your own timetables to see which practical group you have been allocated. If you are unwell, let me know beforehand and I will reschedule your session. A register will be taken to monitor attendance.

Additional online resources

• Lectures will be recorded using Panopto.
• Additional pre-recorded lecture videos on each topic (made for the pandemic lockdowns) will be released during the course for use as revision aids.
• Every week, you will be directed to Blackboard additional resources (e.g., TED Talks, Twitter feeds, websites, pdfs of papers), each indicated as ‘essential’ or ‘optional’.
• End-of-topic tests will be available on Blackboard for you to assess your understanding of each topic.
• Essential information about assessments will be announced on Blackboard.

Self-study

• Self-study deepens your learning and understanding, and can be a mixture of individual and group-work.
• Peer-to-peer evaluation, discussion and support is very important for successful learning.
• A selection of additional resources will be recommended as ‘Essential’ or ‘Optional’ for each topic - eBooks, peer-reviewed papers, websites, YouTube and social media.
• If you have any questions, email me directly or speak to me after lectures.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.