Insight into the role of cyanobacterial bloom in the trophic link between ciliates and predatory copepods

Abstract An important group of protozooplankton, the ciliates, are a crucial component aquatic food webs. They main grazers on bacteria and algae transferring carbon to higher levels web (metazooplankton fish fry). Changes in quality quantity protozooplankton can modify metazooplankton, especially predatory copepods, causing changes energy transfer matter cycle. Observable climate change is one most significant factors promoting increase cyanobacterial blooms. Therefore, aim this study was find out how blooms relationships between ciliates (prey) copepods (predator), discover possible pathways freshwater We analysed relationship biomass feeding guilds (algivorous, bacterivorous, bacteri-algivorous). The predators with algivorous bacteri-algivorous ciliate biomasses, simultaneous lack bacterivorous biomass, demonstrates that bacterial fixed may be only partially contributing total passed through link. Results demonstrated bloom enhanced prey predator. Larger free-swimming species appear play greater role than smaller sedentary species.