Epipelagic euphausiids assemblage in the Gerlache Strait (Antarctic Peninsula) during January 2015

Abstract

The spatial distribution of the epipelagic Euphausiids was investigated during the first Colombian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica “Expedición Caldas” in the Gerlache Strait during the austral summer of 2015. Surface zooplankton was collected at 20 oceanographic stations with a simple conical net of 0.6 m in diameter mouth and 200 µm of mesh net. Four euphausiid species were collected in 70 % of the sampling stations: Euphausia crystallorophias Holt and Tattersall 1906, Euphausia superba Dana 1850, Thysanoessa sp. and Thysanoessa macrura Sars 1883. Euphausia crystallorophias was the most abundant species with maximum density of 818 ind 1000 m-3 associated with the entrance of the Wilhelmina Bay, in the central area of the Gerlache Strait. The northern and southern sectors of the strait had significant differences in surface temperature and salinity associated with significant differences in the composition of the euphausiid species assemblages between both sectors. Although E. crystallorophias was the numerically dominant euphausiid species in the Gerlache Strait, E. superba was mostly distributed in the northern sector while Thysanoessa sp. was only distributed in the southern sector.