Zooplankton adapt to hypoxia in the Humboldt Current off Peru by adjusting their metabolic processes and behaviors. During low-oxygen conditions, these organisms alter their vertical migration patterns, reducing their movement to higher oxygenated zones. This adaptation influences their feeding and metabolism, affecting the transfer of organic matter and nutrients through the water column. Consequently, changes in zooplankton behavior under hypoxic conditions can impact the efficiency of the biological carbon pump, altering carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling in the ocean.
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