I am looking for the volume/body mass ratios for Antarctic mesozooplankton in order to convert Volume/ind (determined by microscope investigation) into Carbon mass (biomass).
I learnt this could be helpful, but it is hard to find:
Chislenko LL (1968) Nomogramms for determining the weight of aquatic organisms according to the size and shape of their body, marine mesobenthos and plankton.
Do you have any suggestion?
Phytoplankton production in the ocean is fuelled by nitrogenous forms which are the main limiting nutrients. Nitrate present in the euphotic layer and ammonium excreted by organisms are the principal nutrients used by autotrophs. Nitrate vertically transported to the euphotic zone and nitrogen fixation gives rise to the so-called new production. The ammonium excreted by heterotrophs (bacteria, micro- and mesozooplankton) promotes the regenerated production. This production is driven not only by ammonium but also due to the fraction of nitrate which is generated by nitrification in the upper layers of the ocean
Ammonium sustains a rather high percentage (up to 100%) of the requirements for primary production . Average values in the euphotic zone range from about 50% in coastal waters to >90% in the oligotrophic ocean, with a global average of around 80% . However, bacteria in the ocean can be competing for or regenerating ammonium or both . Therefore, the knowledge of ammonium release by pelagic organisms is of interest not only to know their metabolic nitrogen budget, but also because they drive phytoplankton and bacterial production as well as the potential for nitrification in shallow waters. This is rather important in the large areas of the tropical and subtropical ocean, as most of the nitrogen used by phytoplankton and bacteria is regenerated because of the intense stratification in these waters.
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