COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Zooplankton Gallery

Bipinnaria
After living in the zooplankton community for a few days, these tiny (0.5 mm) baby sea stars (bipinnaria) settle to the sea floor and transform into the familiar shape of their parents. This specimen was collected from the Prince William Sound and photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking (September 2015).

Limacina helicina
Free-swimming pelagic snails, like this species of pteropod, act as “canaries in the coal mine” for ocean acidification. L. helicina’s sensitivity to ocean pH can hinder its ability to produce the delicate calcium carbonate shell seen in this micrograph. This specimen was collected from the Prince William Sound and photographed through a microscope using a technique called focus stacking.

Ostracoda
While this tiny zooplankter (1 mm) appears to have more in common with clams and mussels, ostracods are closely related to shrimp, crabs, and lobsters. This specimen was collected from the Prince William Sound and photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking (January 2016).

Unhatched Flathead Sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon) Egg and Embryo
An unhatched Flathead Sole rests in its egg (4 mm; about the size of a ball bearing). Once hatched, this fish could grow to a size that would make any sport fisherman proud. This specimen was collected from Cook Inlet and photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking.

PseudocalAF (Pseudocalanus sp., female)
Copepods such as this tiny (1.5 mm) egg bearing female are important unseen members of ocean ecosystems. Filled with fat, they provide energy to fishes, whales, and seabirds. This specimen was collected from the Prince William Sound and photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking (January 2016).

PseudocalanusAM (Pseudocalanus sp., male)
Tiny copepods (1.5 mm) comprise the base of food web in the Prince William Sound and Gulf of Alaska. Swarms of these crustaceans can reach into the trillions of individuals and provide food for fishes and whales. This specimen was collected from the Prince William Sound and photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking (January 2016).

Paraeuchaeta sp.
The fat in this juvenile copepod’s bright orange lipid sac helps see it through winter while food (phytoplankton) is scarce. This specimen was photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking.

Metridia
Large Metridia found in the Prince William Sound are important sources of food for fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals. This species of copepod spits out bioluminescent trails when startled. The specimen was photographed through a microscope at the Prince William Sound Science Center using a technique called focus stacking.

Corycaeus anglicus
This predaceous copepod usually resides in warm-waters off the coast of California and Oregon. The warm-water anomaly known as “The Blob” allowed Corycaeus anglicus to increase its range in 2015 and 2016. This male copepod, found in Prince William Sound, uses its well-developed eyes to find and catch other zooplankton as prey. This specimen is covered in tiny stalked diatoms. The white sacs on C. anglicus’ urosome, filled with sperm, will be deposited on a female’s genitalia to fertilize her eggs.

Spionidae
This larval polychaete worm begins its life among the plankton. Growing up this way has many advantages. Because this worm lives in the plankton, ocean currents will transport it to far away places in Prince William Sound. Once large enough, it will settle into the sea floor mud where it will become an important member of the benthic community.

Rice Scale Collage
Zooplankton vary in size and shape but most are very tiny and require a microscope to view them properly. This collage of zooplankton illustrates their size compared to a grain of rice (middle). Clockwise from top: Limacina helicina, Corycaeus anglicus, Tricornia borealis, Pseudocalanus, Ostracod, Bipinnaria (seastar larvae), Acartia longiremis, Neocalanus plumchrus