Abstract
Autonomous instrumented floats deployed by the international Argo programme and its predecessors were used to produce inferred temperature–salinity–depth records for overwintering plankton in the North Atlantic, with special reference to Calanus finmarchicus (the biomass-dominant mesozooplankton in the region). In addition, a model for the density of a plankter was used to estimate changes in vertical position over time. Results from 456 individual winter float records show that environmental conditions were most stable in the Nordic Seas, less so in the subarctic basins of the Labrador Sea, Irminger Sea, and Iceland Basin, and most variable in regions to the south. Model results show that neutral buoyancy at the beginning of the overwintering period is insufficient to guarantee that individuals will stay at depth for the entire overwintering period, which suggests some kind of active buoyancy control mechanism is at work.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
