Use of optical imaging datasets to assess biogeochemical contributions of the mesozooplankton

Abstract The increasing use of image-based observing systems in marine ecosystems allows for more quantitative analysis the ecological zonation zooplankton. Developing methods that take advantage these can provide an increasingly nuanced understanding how morphometric characteristics (especially size) are related to distribution, abundance and ecosystem function via a wider application allometric calculations biogeochemical fluxes. Using MOCNESS sampling zooplankton near Bermuda Atlantic Time Series ZooSCAN/EcoTaxa pipeline, we apply new taxonomically resolved biomass biovolume dataset suite R scripts information about relationships between zooplankter size, taxonomy, depth migration, magnitude migration contributions (e.g. respiratory O2 consumption). pipeline provides framework quantitatively comparing testing hypotheses patterns impacts mesozooplankton. Specifically, our code helps visualize size-based structure extent vertical allow quantification relative importance non-migratory versus migratory organisms various size classes. It additionally us quantify error associated with calculating active flux, being most important methodological choice, taxonomic identification least.