Protozoa in Planktonic Food Webs¹^,²

Abstract

Protozoa are now being recognized as important members of planktonic food webs. This is due to the inclusion of microbial links in our paradigm of trophic relationships. Heterotrophic microflagellates and ciliates are major grazers of bacteria. They can stimulate production through nutrient recycling and can transform microbial production into larger particles, which are then available for macroconsumers. In this paper we add new groups, the small (< 20 μm) ciliates and myxotrophic flagellates, to the planktonic food web.