title: Rethinking the Role of Salps in the Ocean.
abstract: Salps are barrel-shaped, gelatinous zooplankton that regularly form large swarms. They have historically been ignored because they are difficult to sample and their gelatinous body structure suggests that they are unimportant in food webs and biogeochemical cycles. We collate evidence to overturn several common misconceptions about salps that have hampered research. We show that salps play a major role in carbon sequestration and are key components of marine food webs as a food source for at least 202 species including fish, turtles, and crustaceans. The future of salps in the Anthropocene is uncertain, and therefore further research into areas such as basic rate processes and their biogeochemical impact through new and innovative laboratory and field methods is needed.
authors.affiliation: Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Building 22, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia. Electronic address: n.henschke@princeton.edu.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Henschke
authors.affiliation: Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Building 22, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia.
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Dutton Park 4001, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics (CARM), School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Building 22, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia.
authors.forename: Iain M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Suthers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005399:Fishes; D020387:Food Chain; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D015048:Zooplankton
keywords: gelatinous zooplankton.; salp