The most abundant animals in the plankton are copepods, such as the one pictured. As adults, they are less than 1 millimeter in length. The abundance and diversity of plankton species are highest in South Carolina from May to September, because this is the peak reproductive period for most estuarine species. Densities of plankton in North Inlet, measured by researchers at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, are greater than 20,000 individuals per cubic meter of water.
