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Article: Measuring diversity of planktonic larvae.(Marine Biodiversity)(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- Oceanus
- Article date:
- March 22, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Catch 'Em (and Identify 'Em) If You Can
Imagine several million microscopic organisms living in a single glass of seawater! This is the emerging picture of planktonic ecosystems in coastal environments. The density of organisms is overwhelming and most species have unique roles within the ecosystem. Planktonic larvae of benthic (seafloor-dwelling) invertebrates - such as worms, clams, and snails - are only temporary members of the plankton, so their importance in pelagic ecosystems is often overlooked. However, given that many larvae reside in the water column longer than the life spans of many copepods, which are considered a part of the "permanent" plankton, larvae ...