COSEE Ocean Systems: News
Moonlight helps plankton escape predators during Arctic winters
Description: One of the biggest-scale migrations on the planet takes place every day, when billions of tiny zooplankton swim deeper in the morning to escape predators that are active in daylight. Every night, the zooplankton surface to feed on photosynthesising phytoplankton. You might think this couldn't happen inside the Arctic Circle in winter, when the sun doesn't rise at all for several months. But acoustic location readings have revealed that when winter sets in, Arctic zooplankton continue with their daily grind - although they switch to a lunar rhythm instead. [Source: New Scientist]
URL: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28738-moonlight-helps-plankton-escape-predators-during-arctic-winters/
Availability: Full Text
Source: New Scientist
Publish Date: 1/7/2016
Reading Level: Basic
Page Length:  

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