Relationship Between the Blue‐Green Alga Trichodesmium Thiebautii and the Copepod Macrosetella Gracilis in the Plankton off Northeastern South America

Abstract

A strong correlation between the abundance of the blue—green alga Trichodesmium thiebautii and the abundance of the harpacticoid copepod Macrosetella gracilis is reported at 34 stations off the northeastern coast of South America. This field observation supports previous laboratory observations that filaments of Trichodesmium are required as a substratum for the development of M. gracilis.