Metabarcoding analysis of regional variation in gut contents of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in the North Atlantic Ocean

The calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus is one of the most abundant and ecologically important species of the zooplankton assemblage of the North Atlantic Ocean and occupies a pivotal position in the pelagic food web. This study used metabarcoding analysis (high throughput DNA sequencing of target gene regions) to examine the diversity of the copepod gut content, including both eukaryotic and prokaryotic components of the diet and microbiome. Zooplankton samples were collected during the 2013 EuroBASIN cruise of the R/V G.O. Sars, which crossed the North Atlantic to survey in the Norwegian, Icelandic, Irminger, and Labrador Seas. Zooplankton samples were examined microscopically for C. finmarchicus; species identification was confirmed by genetic markers based on insertion-deletion sequence variation. DNA was extracted from the dissected gut contents of adult female copepods and sequenced for eukaryotic 18S V4 and prokaryotic 16S V3–V4 rRNA hypervariable regions. Prokaryotes identified in the gut contents of all copepods analyzed included Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. The eukaryotic gut content assemblage was diverse, dominated by Ocrophyta (diatoms), Dinophyta (dinoflagellates), Ciliophora (ciliates), as well as Cnidaria and Ctenophora. The diverse assemblage revealed by metabarcoding analysis of copepod gut contents likely represents prey, microbiome, parasites, symbionts, and pathogens. Significant differences in prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity of the gut contents of copepods collected from four regional seas of the North Atlantic Ocean reflect and contribute to basin-scale differences in the pelagic food web of these ecosystems. This study provides evidence that diversity and variation of the copepod gut contents may both reflect and impact the functioning of pelagic food webs and regional variation in ocean ecosystems.