Mar-Eco Project

1. Zooplankton Cephlapods Mar-Eco Project MAR-ECO is an international research project in which scientists from 16 nations take part. The ship G.O.Sars (left) went on an expedition along the north Atlantic ridge from Iceland to the Azores as shown below. Exploring life in the mid-Atlantic at various depths down to 4 km (2.5 miles), 60 scientists from 13 countries found lots of information on marine life including species which are believed to have never been known to science before. Here is a selection of their findings: Zooplankton are tiny organisms which live in the sea, they eat algae and produce high density pellets which sink to the bottom faster than the algae do, so are an important link in the food chain. Without them the larger fish lower down in the ocean would not get food as fast. There were many types found on the cruise, right are some examples. The group of animals known as cephalopods include squids and cuttlefish. They have large heads and tentacles with suckers or hooks. Their lifespan is approximately 2 years. During the cruise there were new types of cephalopods discovered as well as great footage of them in their natural environment. Rachael Davies, Matthew Smedley and Hazel Galbraith, Ellon Academy, Scotland