The primary goal of this project is to obtain a better knowledge of Arctic zooplankton physiology and life history strategies to predict the degree of match/mismatch of key biological processes at the base of the Arctic marine food web in a changing Arctic.

We will focus on Calanus glacialis a large-bodied copepode which constitute up to 90% of the zooplankton biomass in Arctic shelf seas. This species converts low energy carbohydrates and proteins from algae into high energy lipids, which makes it to an extermely lipid-rich (70% lipids of its dry weight) and essential food item for higher trophic levels such as fish, sea birds and whales.

Our secondary objectives are:

1. Through field investigations document the full annual cycle of C. glacialis. Obtain data that will allow testing of predictions on diapause duration, critical size of lipid storage, and reproductive success and population abundance of this key Arctic grazer.
2. In laboratory studies, obtain fundamental measurements of metabolism and diapause-flexibility of C. glacialis, including testing of predictions on the temperature- and food-dependence of these traits.
3. Model the life history of C. glacialis in order to predict optimal strategies for specified environments and thereby predict how C. glacialis and similar species may respond to climate change in the Arctic.