Parasitic-forms

Guides

• Copepoda

  copepods

  Copepods are small aquatic crustaceans and one of the most abundant and diverse multicellular organisms on Earth. They occupy nearly every aquatic habitat, from marine plankton to deep ocean floors, freshwater lakes, groundwater systems, and even moist terrestrial environments such as leaf litter and bromeliad phytotelmata. The group includes free-living forms as well as highly modified parasites. Copepods are fundamental components of aquatic food webs, serving as critical prey for fish, whales, and other marine life, while also contributing to nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration through the biological pump.

  planktonzooplanktoncrustaceanaquaticabundantbioindicatorcarbon-pumpfisheriesparasitic-formsgroundwatercave-dwellingmeiofaunabiodiversity-indicatorclimate-change-sentinel