Copepods are zooplankton found throughout the world’s oceans and said to be the animal forming the largest biomass on earth. They sustain mankind as the most important food source for larvae of many fish species. Copepods also play an important role in transporting to the deep sea the large amount of carbon that is fixed on the ocean surface by phytoplankton. Though they don’t stand out, these “little giants of the sea” are extremely valuable to mankind.