Importance of copepod carcasses versus faecal pellets in the upper water column of an oligotrophic area

摘要: Downward flux of zooplankton faecal pellets and carcasses was studied during after the spring bloom in an oligotrophic coastal area Western Mediterranean using a ‘swimmer-excluding’ sediment trap. Zooplankton detritus retrieved trap were comprised cylindrical (from meso- macrozooplankton) copepod with respective carbon 0.05 e2.69 mg m �2 d �1 0.42e4.37 . Carbon nitrogen always exceeded that pellets, except at beginning due to higher contribution macrozooplankton material. During peak phytoplankton biomass, total essentially (68e86% carbon), whereas before this period, material dominated (88e91% flux). Copepod positively correlated biomass. Estimates non-predatory biomass mortality rates <0.01 ) negatively chl time lag 12 days