Small copepods

Small copepods play an important role in the Arctic pelagic food web during midsummer and autumn, after the large copepods, i.e. Calanus, descends to hibernate for the winter. Moreover, small copepods are found to be surprisingly dominant throughout the year in the West Greenland fjord Nuup Kangerlua (Godthåbsfjord). Nevertheless, few studies describe carbon content and respiration rates of these small Arctic copepods and their role are in general under-studied. Basic measurements will therefore contribute to abetter understanding of the function of Arctic pelagic food webs in summer and winter season and in particular in fjord environments and the studies will serve as a reference for future studies.