By Alice Vincent, Wired UK
Marine biologists have found that the "diver's weight belt" which is believed to regulate whales' buoyancy is also present in tiny crustaceans. Copepods are 3mm-long marine animals, which head to the depths of the ocean to escape the storms and food scarcity of winter at the surface.
[partner id="wireduk" align="right"]Copepods are rich in omega-3 oil, which is naturally high in energy. Although biologists have considered a connection between this and the creatures' seasonal migration, this is the first time they have been able to "understand the exact relationship between these two elements in the animal's life cycle", as lead author David Pond said in a press release.
The stores of oil in the copepods work in a similar way to how some marine biologists think whales change their buoyancy at different depths: as the copepods swim deeper to their winter retreats, the increased pressure causes their oily body fluids to solidify. As the oil transforms into a more buttery substance, the copepods gain neutral buoyancy preventing them from constant swimming in deep waters. This saves the creatures' energy.
The copepods may be small, but Pond says the discovery is significant: "they represent a vast reserve of ocean 'biomass' that provides a crucial component of the food chain." Copepods make essential lunch for herring, cod and mackerel.
Furthermore, Pond adds: "it's fascinating to think that the largest and smallest marine animals share this remarkable ability to change their body fats to adjust their buoyancy."
Image: Stephen Begin/Flickr
Source: Wired.co.uk
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