Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ)

The goal of the Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) was to produce a global assessment of holozooplankton species diversity, biomass, biogeographic distribution, and genetic diversity, focusing on the ~7,000 described species of animals that drift with ocean currents throughout their lives. CMarZ carried out a comprehensive biodiversity survey, focusing on the deep sea, under-sampled regions, and biodiversity hotspots, using an integrated morphological and molecular (DNA barcodes) approach to analysis and assessment. CMarZ technology advances included deep-sea (to 5,000 m) sampling and DNA barcoding at sea. 

Project Leaders
Ann Bucklin, United States
Shuhei Nishida, Japan
Sigrid Schiel, Germany

CMarZ Project Website
Project Description