Arctic zooplankton prefer living ice algae: a caution for zooplankton excretion measurements

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Abstract
Regardless of how they were killed, dead ice algae were less desirable as food to several arctic copepods (Pseudocalanus sp., Calanus glaciahs, Metridia longa) than living ice algae. For Pseudocalanus, the only species tested, the presence of dead ice algae also depressed respiration and ammonia-excretion rates. In the short run, food quality (i.e. whether living or dead) had a greater effect on copepod metabolism than food quantity. Pre-conditioning for 48 h, and conditions in the natural environment to which the animals had become acclimated, also had a marked effect on their metabolic performance, but did not mask the effect of morbidity in the food supply. We conclude that dead algae should not be used as a substitute ration for living food in certain types of metabolic experiments without prior comparison of suitability.

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