Behaviour-dependent Predation Risk in Marine Planktonic Copepods: an Experimental and Modelling Approach

Zooplankton exhibit different motile behaviors related to mating, feeding and swimming activities. These differences in motility may imply different levels of predation risk, which may partially determine the structure of pelagic communities. However, empirical evidence and models of the influence of zooplankton behavior on predation risk are still limited. In this study, we experimentally investigated predation mortality related to different motile behaviors in marine planktonic copepods. We conducted bottle incubation predation experiments to estimate predation risk associated with (i) mating- and gender differences in behavior and (ii) feeding/ swimming activity (ambush feeders vs feeding-current vs. cruising feeders). Low and high speed video-filming was used to determine prey motility behavior parameters such as speeds, durations and frequencies of sinking, swimming and jumping events, as well as escape responses of each prey type. We will present experimental results of predation on copepod with different motile behavior and propose a simple prey behavior-dependent encounter model to predict predation risk on planktonic copepods. Overall, our results demonstrate that motile behavior is a key factor affecting predation risk in zooplankton.