zooplankton monitoring

Zooplankton monitoring involves regularly sampling and studying tiny drifting creatures in water bodies, such as lakes and oceans. These microscopic organisms, like tiny animals and larvae, are essential to aquatic ecosystems because they serve as a crucial food source for larger fish and marine animals. Monitoring helps scientists track changes in water quality, ecosystem health, and the impacts of pollution or climate change. It typically includes collecting water samples, identifying and counting different zooplankton species, and analyzing their populations over time to assess the overall condition of the aquatic environment.