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Abstract This study presents eight new high-qualityde novotranscriptomes from six co-occurring species of calanoid copepods, the first published forNeocalanus plumchrus,N. cristatus, Eucalanus bungiiandMetridia pacificaand additional ones forN. flemingeriandCalanus marshallae. They are ecologically-important members of sub-arctic North Pacific marine zooplankton communities. ‘Omics data for this diverse and numerous taxonomic group are sparse and difficult to obtain. Total RNA from single individuals was used to construct gene libraries that were sequenced on an Illumina Next-Seq platform. Quality filtered reads were assembled with Trinity software and validated using multiple criteria. The study’s primary purpose is to provide a resource for gene expression studies. The integrated database can be used for quantitative inter- and intra-species comparisons of gene expression patterns across biological processes. An example of an additional use is provided for discovering novel and evolutionarily-significant proteins within the Calanoida. A workflow was designed to find and characterize unannotated transcripts with homologies acrossde novoassemblies that have also been shown to be eco-responsive. 

Abstract Molecular tools have changed the understanding of zooplankton biodiversity, speciation, adaptation, population genetics and global patterns of connectivity. However, the molecular resources needed to capitalize on these advances continue to be limited in comparison with those available for other eukaryotic plankton. This deficiency could be addressed through an Ocean Zooplankton Open ‘Omics Project (Ocean ZOOP) that would generate de novo assembled transcriptomes for hundreds of metazoan plankton species. A collection of comparable reference transcriptomes would generate a new framework for ecological and physiological studies. Defining species niches, identifying optimal habitats, assessing adaptive capacity and predicting changes in phenology are just a few examples of how such a resource could transform studies on zooplankton ecology.