Optimal foraging and diel vertical migration in a life history model

Zooplankton such as copepods are known to perform diel vertical migration, avoiding the food rich surface during bright hours to avoid visual predator when they are most dangerous, and returning to the surface to feed at night. The resolution of this foraging behaviour requires fine time scale in the model,
unsuited for life history modeling. We propose a method based on optimal foraging theory to take into account the emergent feeding rates as a function of the copepod metabolic cost, latitude, time and predation. We predict that copepods will balance their growth rate and mortality, playing a safe strategy
when food is plentiful, but taking greater risks at low food concentrations. We apply these concepts to high latitude ecosystems where there is a strong seasonal variation in both food availability and day length. Specifically, during the summer, the midnight sun will force the animals to take more risk and maintain some feeding at the surface to cover their nutritional needs, compensate for predation mortality and sustain their growth