Eddy-induced forcing reshapes taxon-specific copepod gut contents and feeding preference in the South China Sea

Mesoscale eddies can reshape upper ocean habitats and reorganize zooplankton diversity through trophic cascades. However, despite being the key secondary producers in marine ecosystems, the taxon specific dietary responses of copepods to different type of eddies remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we tracked a eddy pair in the northwestern South China Sea, focusing on three key copepods: Lucicutia flavicornis, Rhincalanus rostrifrons, and Pleuromamma spp. Metabarcoding data of gut contents, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic components were stored in this project.