Zooplankton

Zooplankton are the animal-like organism that make up most of the primary consumers of the ocean that eat the phytoplankton. Some organisms are zooplankton during their larvae/egg stage, while others are zooplankton for their whole life. Animals such as jellyfish are also considered zooplankton as they are weaker swimmers and tend to go with the currents of the ocean. Many crustaceans are zooplankton in their beginning life stages and can be categorized as copepods, amphipods, and isopods.

Species 1:

Bristle Worm or Ophiodromus Flexuosus

Habitat: Mostly found on muddy and sandy bottoms in between shells and holdfasts of seaweeds.

Niche: Serves as prey for many species around it

Adaptations: They have developed muscles and move by swimming, crawling, or burrowing with their parapodia (bristle like feet) adapted as paddles or legs

Example 2: Eunice aphroditois or Bobbitt Worm

The bobbit worm is an aquatic predatory polychaete worm. This worm is taller than an average human.

Habitat: Dwells on the ocean floor (not specific to kelp forest)

Niche: An ambush predator

Adaptations: Light and chemical receptors allow the bobbitt worm to know when there is possible food near by and it will lunge/attack if it thinks it can capture the possible meal.

Life Cycle:

• Broadcast Spawning
• Eggs get fertilized in the water
• Egg then develops into a trocophore larvea
• After that it starts to lengthen during its juvenile stage before becoming and adult