How do copepods fit into the Arctic food web?
“Large populations of birds, walrus, seals, polar bears and whales inhabit the Chukchi and Beaufort shelves. Copepods transported from the deep adjacent Arctic Ocean basin and Bering Sea basin onto the Chukchi and Beaufort shelves are at one of the bases of the food web that supports these organisms. In short, copepods are an essential link between primary productivity (phytoplankton) and upper trophic levels such as birds, fish and baleen whales.
