Allometry and the calculation of zooplankton metabolism in the subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean

Using measurements of respiration and dissolved organic carbon (DOG) excretion from the subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean (August 2018), we explore the efficacy of pre-existing allometric relationships to predict metabolic rates of diel vertically migrating zooplankton, and to test taxon-specific influences on these calculations at our study site. Non-taxon-specific allometric equations were associated with our best predictive model, and they underestimated measured respiratory values by similar to 10%. The best prediction of DOG release from estimates of biomass used taxonspecific coefficients and overestimated DOG production by 12%. There is a distinct allometric relationship for DOG excretion that varies between taxa, and slightly higher DOG production in more carnivorous groups. This study provides uncertainty estimates for zooplankton active flux analyses in the region, and identifies important research directions for allometry in biogeochemical studies.