Research

Zooplankton serves as energy transmitters in marine ecosystems, passing basic production to higher organisms. The dominant zooplankton species in the Arctic Ocean are copepods, most of which have a lifespan of one year or less, but their samples can be preserved semi-permanently with formalin fixation, making them an ideal taxonomic group for assessing the interannual variability in biological production in the region. Some species of copepods are also bioluminescent. It is thought that they emit light when they are about to be predated upon in dark waters, and use it to distract predators. We have identified a fluorescent protein (GFP) and a luciferase (luminescent enzyme) from copepods.