Measuring Copepod Growth Rates in Northern Sweden: Challenges and Rewards of International Collaboration

The Limnology and Oceanography Research Exchange (LOREX) program (funded by ASLO through NSF) was designed to foster international collaboration among graduate students from the United States and host institutes from around the world. As part of the LOREX program, we measured growth rates of the dominant calanoid copepod, Eudiaptomus graciloides, using a modified version of the artificial cohort method and an image analysis technique in conjunction with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient measurements in lakes in northern Sweden. As DOC is predicted to increase with climate change, this research will be valuable in helping to better understand the effects of DOC on productivity and how it will affect lake ecosystems. In addition, this LOREX project was valuable in providing lessons and experience in communication, preparation, organization, and time-management on an international level.