Comparison of FlowCam Macro and traditional microscopy for studying mesopelagic copepod community composition

Journal of Plankton Research 2026 Open access

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Authors: Eloïse L-R Savineau, Kathryn Barbara Cook, Anna Belcher, Sophie Fielding, Gabriele Stowasser, Geraint Andrew Tarling, Daniel J. Mayor
DOI: 10.1093/plankt/fbag037
Cited by: 1
References: 10

Abstract

Semiautonomous imaging technologies are increasingly being used to characterize zooplankton communities, albeit with limited comparison to traditional techniques. Here we compared copepod community compositions obtained using a FlowCam Macro with those obtained using a stereomicroscope for the same set of samples. Broad-level community compositions obtained via the FlowCam Macro were similar to those using the microscope, although the microscope was able to achieve greater taxonomic resolution (e.g. genus/species level). Our data support the use of the FlowCam Macro as an alternative to time- and labour-intensive microscopy for broad-level taxonomic classification of mesozooplankton samples.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Marine and coastal ecosystems Marine Biology and Ecology Research Micro and Nano Robotics

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Plankton Research
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Volume
48
Issue
3
Pages
fbag037–fbag037
Publication date
7 April 2026
Language
EN