Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Trophic Efficiency00:46

Trophic Efficiency

24.4K
Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.
24.4K
Trophic Levels01:35

Trophic Levels

36.5K
All organisms in an ecosystem occupy a trophic level in the food chain. The lowest level consists of primary producers, which synthesize their food from either solar or chemical energy. Each subsequent level obtains energy from the levels below. Detritivores can occupy any of the levels above primary producers.
36.5K
Osmoregulation in Fishes02:32

Osmoregulation in Fishes

52.3K
When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?
52.3K
Primary Production01:06

Primary Production

24.8K
The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.
24.8K
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

20.6K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
20.6K
Tonicity in Animals00:59

Tonicity in Animals

122.7K
The tonicity of a solution determines if a cell gains or loses water in that solution. The tonicity depends on the permeability of the cell membrane for different solutes and the concentration of nonpenetrating solutes in the solution within and outside of the cell. If a semipermeable membrane hinders the passage of some solutes but allows water to follow its concentration gradient, water moves from the side with low osmolarity (i.e., less solute) to the side with higher osmolarity (i.e.,...
122.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Markedly reduced prevalence of Schistocephalus solidus in pelagic three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Lake Constance.

Parasitology research·2026
Same author

Pipeline for FlowCam data processing with modular open-source software and optional machine learning classification.

PeerJ·2026
Same author

Nectin-4 reduces T cell effector function and is a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.

JCI insight·2025
Same author

Intratumoral regulatory T cells are associated with treatment response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and prognosis in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Oncoimmunology·2025
Same author

Pathologist-like explainable AI for interpretable Gleason grading in prostate cancer.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Staging metastatic urothelial cancer with Nectin-4 imaging using Gallium-68-N188 PET/CT.

BJU international·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 7, 2025

Cultivation of the Marine Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri Uljanin 1884 for Experimental Studies
09:39

Cultivation of the Marine Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri Uljanin 1884 for Experimental Studies

Published on: August 9, 2019

11.4K

Trophic switches in pelagic systems.

Herwig Stibor1, Maria Stockenreiter1, Jens Christian Nejstgaard2

  • 1Department Biology II, Experimental Aquatic Ecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.

Current Opinion in Systems Biology
|September 28, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Mesocosm experiments reveal how environmental factors drive trophic switches in marine plankton. This research advances complex ecological concepts beyond simple food webs, aiding in understanding community dynamics.

More Related Videos

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush from Its Prey
12:24

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush from Its Prey

Published on: August 29, 2014

11.2K
Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, Oikopleura dioica
11:55

Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, Oikopleura dioica

Published on: June 16, 2020

9.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 7, 2025

Cultivation of the Marine Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri Uljanin 1884 for Experimental Studies
09:39

Cultivation of the Marine Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta gegenbauri Uljanin 1884 for Experimental Studies

Published on: August 9, 2019

11.4K
Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush from Its Prey
12:24

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush from Its Prey

Published on: August 29, 2014

11.2K
Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, Oikopleura dioica
11:55

Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, Oikopleura dioica

Published on: June 16, 2020

9.3K

Area of Science:

  • Marine ecology
  • Food web dynamics
  • Experimental ecology

Background:

  • Ecological studies require experimentation to establish causality.
  • Complex ecological concepts, particularly in pelagic food webs, necessitate advanced research methods.
  • Trophic switches in organisms significantly influence food web structure and carbon flux.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate how environmental drivers induce trophic switches in marine phytoplankton and zooplankton communities.
  • To showcase the utility of mesocosm experiments in testing complex ecological theories.
  • To extend ecological analysis beyond traditional trophic level approaches.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mesocosm experiments to simulate pelagic food web dynamics.
  • Investigated the impact of environmental drivers on plankton community structure.
  • Analyzed trophic switches within marine phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Main Results:

  • Environmental drivers were shown to cause significant trophic switches in marine plankton.
  • These switches alter food web length and the balance of carbon fluxes.
  • Mesocosm experiments successfully replicated complex ecological interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Mesocosm experiments are vital for developing and testing intricate ecological concepts.
  • Understanding trophic switches is key to deciphering pelagic food web behavior.
  • Future research should incorporate diversity, behavior, and stochasticity in ecological models.