ORCID
- Joanna Harris: 0000-0001-8684-9096
Abstract
Zooplankton are vital links in marine food webs, yet their biomass remains challenging to quantify across broad spatial and temporal scales.This study introduces the Zooplankton Visual Index–a simple, rapid and scalable semi-quantitative method for evaluating zooplankton biomassthrough underwater observations. Following the establishment of a standardized protocol, validation against in situ net samples demonstratedthat indexlevels increased consistently with measured biomass and predictable shifts in community composition. We then applied the validatedindexto a 9-year dataset of reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) sightings in the Maldives. Increased M. alfredi abundance significantly correlated withhigher index levels, confirming that the index effectively captures the food environment as an important predictor of behavior and habitat use.Thus, the Zooplankton Visual Index provides an accessible and validated tool for assessing prey availability, enabling researchers, non-specialistfield staff and citizen science programs to contribute to broad-scale ecological research and conservation efforts for marine megaplanktivores.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-05-27
Publication Title
Journal of Plankton Research
Volume
48
Issue
3
ISSN
0142-7873
Acceptance Date
2026-04-07
Deposit Date
2026-05-29
Funding
Hannah M. Moloney was funded by the University of the Sun- shine Coast Research Training Program scholarship. This study was made possible due to funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Moloney, H., Armstrong, A., Stevens, G., Dudgeon, C., Harris, J., Townsend, K., & Richardson, A. (2026) 'A new visual index for assessing zooplankton biomass and its utility in assessing prey availability for megaplanktivores’', Journal of Plankton Research, 48(3). Available at: 10.1093/plankt/fbag027
