Correlation of total organic carbon and dry weight data as indices of fresh-water zooplankton biomass

Preserved zooplankters from DeGray Lake, Arkansas, U.S.A., were separated from other net seston by density-gradient centrifugation, washed, dried, and weighed. Total organic carbon (TOC) content of zooplankters was determined from carbon analysis involving wet persulfate oxidation. Dry weight and TOC data were highly correlated when subjected to a step-wise procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). The model is represented by the equation log Y = 1.14 log X + 0.46, where X = TOC and Y = dry weight. Carbon averaged 30.33 plus or minus 9.86 (S.D.)% of dry weight.