Zooplankton in the Arctic might move up and down in the water with the moon's cycle during winter, and their breathing could release carbon in monthly bursts—even when there's no sunlight or plant growth.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Moonlight Drives Ocean-Scale Mass Vertical Migration of Zooplankton during the Arctic Winter.

Cross-Sectional Study

Animal

2016 Jan 25

The study shows that during the dark Arctic winter, zooplankton move up and down in the ocean in response to moonlight, and this movement may help recycle carbon every month, even when plants aren’t growing.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Moonlight Drives Ocean-Scale Mass Vertical Migration of Zooplankton during the Arctic Winter.

Score: 6

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.038

Similar Assertions

Zooplankton in the Arctic swim up and down in the water with the moon's cycle, and scientists think this behavior is so important and widespread that it should be seen as a basic part of how the Arctic ecosystem works—especially as the region changes.

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Arctic ocean plankton move up and down in the water every 24.8 hours during the dark winter, matching the moon's cycle — and scientists think moonlight is what tells them when to move, even in pitch-black seas.

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75%