Daylight driven vertical migration of mesozooplankton in the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Diurnal vertical migration (DVM) of mesozooplankton in the Deep Scattering Layer (DSL) of the Indian seas is poorly studied. This cyclical vertical migration substantially controls the carbon sequestration in the ocean. The present research is a comprehensive examination to analyse the factors affecting the DVM pattern of the zooplankton community in the Arabian Sea (AS) and the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Echo sounder profiling was conducted at shallow depths (∼10–400m) of the AS (January 2023) and BoB (March 2023) with a period of 24 h to monitor the DVM pattern of the DSL. Vertical migration in both basins showcased the notable influence of the spatio-temporal contrast in the occurrence of daybreak, with the day (descend) and night (ascend) cycle of the DSL. Delayed descent was observed in the AS contrary to BoB, owing to the delayed day break in the AS relative to BoB. Intensity and temporal pattern of the incoming solar radiation were correlated with the DVM whereas diurnal variation of sea surface temperature was observed to be contrasting. The preliminary analysis is indicative of the diversified community structure of the zooplankton community in these basins resulting from the vertical migration. Furthermore, it is conclusive that the surface residence time of the zooplankton is distinct and is affirmed based on daybreak and light intensity particular for each basin. Since daybreak vary with the geolocation, sole dependence on a particular time for migration study can be erroneous, which is highlighted in the present study.