Zooplankton Transport Research Articles

Zooplankton-microplastic exposure in Delaware coastal waters: Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larvae case study

High microplastic concentrations in the Delaware Bay have prompted concern regarding harm to local species. We consider the extent to which the zooplankton is exposed to bay-derived microplastics, focusing on Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) during offshore larval migration. We simulate regional flow fields for a spawning season in the Delaware coastal system to advect passive Lagrangian microplastic and zooplankton tracers. Microplastic exposure levels are estimated from tracer distributions. Field sampling of zooplankton and microplastic concentrations for the Delaware Bay mouth and the adjacent shelf in August 2020 is utilized to appraise model performance. Three mechanisms elevating microplastics exposure are identified: zooplankton transport into microplastic-laden tidelines, displacement of microplastics into the buoyant outflow current, and aggregation in offshore plume fronts. Organization via the above mechanisms substantially enhance microplastic exposures over zooplankton migrations (by an average factor of at least 3.8).

Diel variability in the vertical distribution of coastal barnacle larvae in the Bay of Cartagena, Chile

BackgroundVertical distribution of zooplankton is an important biological factor that can modulate zooplankton transport, dispersal, and survival in the ocean. Seawater temperature and the associated formation of a thermocline can affect the spatial distribution of organisms in the water column and possibly modulate larval vertical distribution in coastal waters. In this study, we examined larval vertical distribution over small spatial scales where environmental conditions could exhibit strong and fairly predictable variability.MethodsDiel variation in vertical distributions of barnacle larvae across the thermocline was characterized within the Bay of Cartagena of central Chile. Two intensive 21- and 24-h surveys were conducted in the northern (ECIM) and southern (CTGN) extremes of the bay in summer 2016 and spring 2017. In each survey, vertical tows were conducted at both sites every 3 h above and below the thermocline.ResultsDuring summer 2016, larval vertical distribution differed between taxa (balanids and verrucids), barnacle stages (nauplii, cyprids), and sites within the bay. Of all taxa analyzed Balanid nauplii at ECIM were more abundant in the bottom layer during the day and at the surface during the night, suggesting they can control their vertical distribution and follow a diel pattern.Acording to the results all barnacle larvae were found in diferent positions in the water column between day and night during periods of high stratification in this survey.. In spring 2017 all barnacle larvae were confined to the upper layer, despite the strength of stratification, potentially as a result of the intrusion of hypoxic water (< 2 mL L−1) at the bottom, which reached up to around 5 m deep.ConclusionsWe conclude that diel vertical distribution is not uniform across different barnacle larvae taxa and stages within the Bay of Cartagena and is not affected by stratification. Of all the taxa analyzed, only balanid nauplii showed a pattern of diel vertical migration across the thermocline under certain hydrographic conditions.

The lateral transport of zooplankton explains trophic and taxonomic similarities over the zonal gradient of central Chile

The highly productive upwelling zone in the Southeast Pacific provides inputs of C and N to the oceanic deep-water system via lateral transport, although the quality of this organic matter, the organisms being transported, and the controlling mechanisms are unclear. Here, we assessed whether the taxonomic and trophic structure of zooplankton over more oceanic offshore waters differ from that of zooplankton located in the upwelling zone, along with the characterization of the oceanographic processes and variables associated with the lateral transport. For this, epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic zooplankton along with oceanographic variables and particulate organic matter (POM) were analyzed at the upwelling zone and adjacent oceanic stations off Central Chile (27–33°S), some of which were located over the Atacama trench, during September 2016. The community structure of size-fractioned zooplankton (<200 μm, 200–500 μm, 500–1000 μm, 1000–2000 μm, and >2000 μm size classes) was assessed by an automated method, along with the analysis of the isotopic niche computed from their δ 15 N and δ 13 C. The isotope signatures of POM indicated that diatoms contributed mostly to production of new organic C, being the main food source for small-sized zooplankton in coastal waters. The zooplankton community structure differed between the upwelling and oceanic areas, but their isotopic signature showed a large overlap (78%). Satellite-derived geostrophic flow and the depth of the mixed layer appeared as the main factors explaining the homogeneity in the isotopic and biogeochemical signatures of zooplankton between the upwelling zone and offshore waters. Cross-shelf advection is thus suggested as a key process promoting zooplankton export to the deep-water ecosystem, including the ultra-deep Atacama Trench. • The organic matter produced in the upwelling zone can be transported over the Atacama trench by strong offshore advection. • Isotopic niches of zooplankton from the Atacama Trench and the upwelling zone exhibit large overlapping (78%). • The upwelling systems acts as a C subsidiary for the offshore deep-sea ecosystem including the Atacama Trench.

ROMSPath v1.0: offline particle tracking for the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)

Abstract. Offline particle tracking (OPT) is a widely used tool for the analysis of data in oceanographic research. Given the output of a hydrodynamic model, OPT can provide answers to a wide variety of research questions involving fluid kinematics, zooplankton transport, the dispersion of pollutants, and the fate of chemical tracers, among others. In this paper, we introduce ROMSPath, an OPT model designed to complement the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Based on the Lagrangian TRANSport (LTRANS) model (North et al., 2008), ROMSPath is written in Fortran 90 and provides advancements in functionality and efficiency compared to LTRANS. First, ROMSPath calculates particle trajectories using the ROMS native grid, which provides advantages in interpolation, masking, and boundary interaction while improving accuracy. Second, ROMSPath enables simulated particles to pass between nested ROMS grids, which is an increasingly popular scheme to simulate the ocean over multiple scales. Third, the ROMSPath vertical turbulence module enables the turbulent (diffusion) time step and advection time step to be specified separately, adding flexibility and improving computational efficiency. Lastly, ROMSPath includes new infrastructure which enables inputting of auxiliary parameters for added functionality. In particular, Stokes drift can be input and added to particle advection. Here we describe the details of these updates and performance improvements.

Seven Years Study of the Seasonal Dynamics of Zooplankton Communities in a Large Subtropical Floodplain Ecosystem: A Test of the PEG Model.

Irregular hydrological events, according to a classic plankton ecology group (PEG) study, can generate major deviations from the standard PEG model. However, little is known about the function of hydrological factors in influencing the seasonal dynamics of plankton. We used multivariate and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling to analyze the seasonal variation in crustacean zooplankton and related environmental factors from winter 2009 to winter 2016 in Lake Poyang, the largest freshwater lake in China. We found a distinct seasonal pattern in zooplankton development, which deviated, in part, from the PEG model, as we found indications of (1) a weaker degree of food limitation in winter and spring, likely due to high concentrations of allochthonous sources caused by decomposition of seasonally flooded hygrophytes, also affecting sediment dynamics; (2) a peak in crustacean zooplankton biomass in summer when the water level was high (and predation was lower), and where horizontal transport of zooplankton from the littoral zone to the pelagic was possibleand (3) a higher predation pressure in autumn, likely due to a shrinking water volume that left the fish concentrated in less water. The majority of these differences can be attributed to the direct or indirect impacts of physical factor variation.

Feeding at the front line: interannual variation in the use of glacier fronts by foraging black-legged kittiwakes

Tidewater glacier fronts can represent important foraging areas for Arctic predators. Their ecological importance is likely to change in a warmer Arctic. Their profitability and use by consumers are expected to vary in time, but the underlying mechanisms driving such variation remain poorly known. The subglacial plume, originating from meltwater discharge, is responsible for the entrainment and transport of zooplankton to the surface, making them more readily available for surface-feeding seabirds. Both discharge and zooplankton abundance are known to fluctuate in time and are thus expected to modulate the foraging profitability of glacier fronts. This study tested the predictions that annual use of glacier fronts by black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla is positively related to the average glacier discharge and prey biomass in the fjord. To do this, we combined a multiyear dataset of environmental drivers and GPS tracks of birds in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Our results confirmed the interannual variation in the use of glacier fronts by kittiwakes; however, contrary to our predictions, these variations were negatively correlated to both glacier discharge and zooplankton abundance. These apparent negative relationships likely reflect non-linear effects and complex interactions between local and regional environmental factors that affect the relative profitability of glacier fronts as foraging areas. Despite their high spatial predictability, glacier fronts may not offer consistent foraging opportunities for marine predators over time.

Resilience of the zooplankton community in the northeast Gulf of Mexico during and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

We evaluated the resilience of the zooplankton community to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, by assessing abundance, biomass, spatial distribution, species composition, and diversity indices during spring, summer, and winter, May 2010 to August 2014. SEAMAP samples collected between spring and summer 2005–2009 were analyzed as a baseline. Our results did not indicate that there was a long-term impact from the oil spill, but did demonstrate that environmental variability and riverine processes strongly governed zooplankton community dynamics. Zooplankton abundances during the oil spill (spring 2010) were not significantly different from abundances during spring 2011 and 2012. Summer 2010 abundances were the highest observed for the 2005 to 2014 period, due to high river discharge, high chlorophyll, and aggregation in eddies. High densities of the dinoflagellate, Noctiluca, during the oil spill, and the copepod, Centropages velificatus, and larvaceans in all years, suggest that these taxa warrant further investigation. Ecosystem connectivity (zooplankton transport by currents into the oil spill region), high fecundity, relatively short generation times, and refugia in deeper depths are key factors in zooplankton resilience to major perturbations. This study serves as a baseline for assessment of future impacts to this system.

Seasonal Changes in Zooplankton Community Structure and Distribution Pattern in the Yellow Sea, China

Changes in zooplankton community and distribution have significant influences on fishery resources due to their vital role in the marine food web. Seasonal variations in zooplankton community structure, abundance and biomass of major taxa and distribution pattern in the Yellow Sea, China were analyzed to obtain the current status of secondary production. A total of 73 taxa (mostly at the species level) were recorded with the highest species richness in summer and lowest in spring. The most abundant zooplankton species in all seasons were copepods Oithona similis, Paracalanus sp. and Calanus sinicus. The mean total zooplankton abundance was the highest in spring and followed a declining trend till winter. Cluster analysis identified two distinct zooplankton assemblages geographically found in the deep (> 50 m depth) and shallow regions. Zooplankton in the shallow region had higher abundance and species richness with the exception of winter season. Small copepods exhibited higher biomass in the shallow region but few abundance differences between the two domains. Large copepods (LC) and giant crustaceans (GC) usually had higher biomass in the deep region with the exceptions of LC in spring and GC in summer. Both the abundance and biomass of chaetognaths were significantly higher in the shallow region, where cnidarian abundance was also higher from spring to autumn. Water currents contributed to the transport of zooplankton between the two domains. The high abundance of copepods in the shallow region satisfied the requirements for the larval fish survival from spring to autumn. However, the high abundance of carnivorous zooplankton in summer–autumn may compete with larval fish for prey, and may directly feed on fish larvae.

Delivery of zooplankton to the surf zone during strong internal tidal forcing and onshore winds in Baja California

Author(s): Fernandez-Aldecoa, RG; Ladah, LB; Morgan, SG; Dibble, CD; Solana-Arellano, E; Filonov, A | Abstract: Various physical mechanisms are implicated in the transport of zooplankton to the outer edge of the surf zone, which is the final barrier before reaching the adult habitat of many meroplanktonic organisms. To explore these physical mechanisms, we measured the abundance of zooplankton in the surf zone hourly for 3 consecutive days during strong internal tidal forcing while concurrently measuring winds, currents, and seawater temperature. Strong temperature changes in the water column that were associated with internal tidal bores, as well as onshore coastal winds, coincided with peaks in abundance of barnacle cyprids, gastropods, and bryozoan larvae in the surf zone. This study supports the hypothesis that both internal tidal bores and onshore winds can accumulate zooplankton nearshore, and that these transport mechanisms may act in concert.

Vertical and geographic distribution of copepod communities at late summer in the Amerasian Basin, Arctic Ocean

Zooplankton plays a pivotal role in linking primary production to higher level consumers in the food webs of marine ecosystems. The distribution of zooplankton is affected by general water conditions, monsoons, currents, and spatial and temporal factors. In the Arctic Ocean, the sea surface is naturally covered with ice. Under ice, water masses interplay to create complex environments that facilitate the transport and distribution of zooplankton, thus altering community structures at geospatial and vertical scales. The present study investigated the species composition and copepod community structures by using geospatial and multiple depth scales, and using multivariate analyses to evaluate the relation of sampling stations and layers. During July–August 2010, zooplankton samples were collected and the temperature and salinity of seawater measured from three stations in the Canada Basin and two stations in the Makarov Basin of the Arctic Ocean (maximum distance of approximately 1400 km). A total of 55 copepod species (including 25 species that were solely identified to the generic level) and 7 taxa of copepodites, altogether belonging to 28 genera, 11 families, and 2 orders were identified, and significant differences were detected in copepod community structures among sampling strata and at geospatial scales. Numerically, Calanus hyperboreus, Calanus copepodite, Calanoida copepodite, Calanus glacialis, and Metridia longa were the most dominant species and taxa. At the local scale, copepod compositions responded differently at each of the sampling stations. At the geospatial scale, the distance between stations MS03 and ICE explained variations in the pattern of dominant species and of copepod community richness. Our study demonstrated varied spatial distribution which indicates that (1) the abundance of copepods at 0–200 m was significantly higher than at other strata, (2) vertical strata affected the distribution of copepod communities, and (3) the interplay of North Pacific and Atlantic waters shaping the copepod assemblage structure at geospatial scales in the Arctic Ocean. The results of our research provide base data for Arctic zooplankton biodiversity and biogeographic distribution.

Seasonal Variation in Transport of Zooplankton Into the Arctic Basin Through the Atlantic Gateway, Fram Strait

The largest contribution of oceanic heat to the Arctic Ocean is the warm Atlantic Water (AW) inflow through the deep Fram Strait. The AW current also carries Atlantic plankton into the Arctic Basin and this inflow of zooplankton biomass through the Atlantic-Arctic gateway far exceeds the inflow through the shallow Pacific-Arctic gateway. However, because this transport has not yet been adequately quantified based on observational data, so that the present contribution is poorly defined, and future changes in Arctic zooplankton communities are difficult to project and observe. Our objective was to quantify the inflow of zooplankton biomass through the Fram Strait during different seasons, including winter. We collected data with high spatial resolution covering hydrography (CTD), currents (ADCP and LADCP) and zooplankton distributions (LOPC and MultiNet) from surface to 1000 m depth along two transects crossing the AW inflow during three cruises in January, May and August 2014. Long-term variations (1997-2016) in the AW inflow were analyzed based on moored current meters. Water transport across the inflow region was of the same order of magnitude during all months (January 2.2 Sv, May 1.9 Sv, August 1.7 Sv). We found a higher variability in zooplankton transport between the months (January 51 kg C s-1, May 34 kg C s-1, August 50 kg C s-1), related to seasonal changes in the vertical distribution of zooplankton. However, high abundances of carbon-rich copepods were observed in the AW inflow during all months. Surface patches with high abundances of C. finmarchicus, Microcalanus spp., Pseudocalanus spp. and Oithona similis clearly contributed to the advected biomass, also in winter. The data reveal that the phenology of species is important for the amount of advected biomass, and that the advective input of zooplankton carbon into the Arctic Basin is important during all seasons. The advective zooplankton input might be especially important for mesopelagic planktivorous predators that were recently observed in the region, particularly during winter. The inflow of C. finmarchicus with AW was estimated to be in the order of 500 000 metric tons C y-1, which compares well to modeled estimates.

Transported zooplankton from the Okhotsk Sea facilitate feeding and growth of juvenile walleye pollock on a continental shelf along the Oyashio Current, western subarctic Pacific

The advective transport of zooplankton provides an important source of energy on continental shelves. On a continental shelf along the Oyashio Current, western subarctic Pacific (42°30′N, 144°00′E), the extant water mass is replaced biannually by inflows of water masses from the highly productive Okhotsk Sea. These inflows and accompanying zooplankton are hypothesized to enhance biological production on the shelf. In this study, seasonal feeding and growth of a juvenile planktivorous fish, walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), on the shelf were examined in relation to water mass exchanges from September 2003 to June 2005. Zooplankton were sampled from February to April in 2004 and 2005, and in April 2014 and 2015. Juvenile pollock frequently consumed an Arctic copepod, Calanus glacialis, and a boreal euphausiid, Thysanoessa inermis, after January when the shelf was occupied by cold water masses that originated from the southwestern Okhotsk Sea. Juvenile pollock whose diet contained higher contributions of these energy-rich prey items exhibited positive growth in February–March 2005, whereas fish with lower proportions of these prey exhibited little growth during this period in 2004. The winter distributions of the copepod and euphausiid extended from a continental slope area in the southwestern rim of the Okhotsk Sea to the shelf along the Oyashio Current. Together, these results suggest the transport of zooplankton from the Okhotsk Sea likely influences the biological production of the coastal Oyashio ecosystem by enhancing the availability of energy-rich prey for juvenile pollock.

Persistent vs. ephemeral invasions: 8.5 years of zooplankton community dynamics in the Columbia River

Nonindigenous aquatic species are becoming increasingly common in coastal and inland waters, largely due to the global transport of zooplankton via commercial shipping and recreational boating. The cost of mitigation and lost income due to invasive zooplankton is estimated in the billions of dollars annually, yet we know little about the temporal dynamics of these invaders. Analysis of an 8.5-year (June 2005–December 2013) zooplankton time series from the Columbia River revealed contrasting patterns of invasion dynamics between species, cyclical periods of community invasion, and key environmental variables that constrain populations of invasive zooplankton. We identified four seasonal zooplankton communities (autumn/invaded, winter/barren, spring/rotifer, and transitional) that are strongly correlated with changes in chlorophyll content and water temperature, with peak abundances of invasive zooplankters occurring during periods of maximum water temperature. Additionally, we observed contrasting patterns of phenology between persistent and ephemeral invasive populations, with successful invaders exhibiting delayed annual peaks in population abundance. Two invasive zooplankters—the copepod Pseudodiaptomus forbesi and larval Asian clam Corbicula fluminea—dominate the zooplankton community in late summer and early autumn. Likewise, our results support conclusions from a growing body of literature that delayed phenology may be a key functional trait for successful invaders.

Zooplankton distribution and transport in the California Current off Oregon

Transport and retention of zooplankton biomass in the shelf and slope regions off Oregon, USA, were studied in June 2002, using high-resolution measurements of temperature, salinity, depth, fluorescence, water current and zooplankton abundance. We employed 2 different analytical methods for minimizing divergence in the geostrophic current fields based on measurements from a vessel using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. We detected high zooplankton biomass in coastal upwelling areas on the shelf, and exchanges between shelf waters with high zooplankton biomass and offshelf waters with low zooplankton biomass via cross-isobath currents. In the shelf area of Heceta Bank off Newport bounded by the 153 m isobath, the standing zooplankton biomass was ~4 × 104 t C. The major flux of zooplankton biomass into the area occurred at the northern boundary at a rate of 1 × 103 to 2.5 × 103 t C d−1 or a specific rate of 0.03 to 0.06 d−1 based on 2 different analytical methods. The flux at the southern boundary was 1 order of magnitude lower, and a significant flux out of the area occurred at the 153 m isobath at a rate of ~0.8 × 103 to 3.7 × 103 t C d−1 or a specific rate of 0.02 to 0.09 d−1. These rates are comparable with the zooplankton growth and mortality rates of ~0.1 d−1 previously reported for this region. Offshelf transport of zooplankton contributes significantly to biomass losses in shelf ecosystems and in turn fuels offshelf ecosystems.

Variability in the vertical distribution and advective transport of eight mesozooplankton taxa in spring in Rivers Inlet, British Columbia, Canada

Zooplankton vertical distribution data and velocity estimates from a hydrodynamicmodel were employed to determine zooplankton daily exchange during four cruisesconducted from March to June 2010 in Rivers Inlet, a fjord in central BritishColumbia, Canada. Zooplankton transport rates varied temporally, being fastest inMarch when water velocities were highest. The active vertical movement of thezooplankton interacted with the vertically sheared flow field to influence zooplanktonadvection. Surface dwelling plankton such as Acartia longiremis and larvaceans experi-enced the highest advection losses of 20.4 and 20.5 day

Synthesis of Pacific Ocean Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics

Author(s): Di Lorenzo, E; Combes, V; Keister, JE; Strub, PT; Thomas, AC; Franks, PJS; Ohman, MD; Furtado, JC; Bracco, A; Bograd, SJ; Peterson, WT; Schwing, FB; Chiba, S; Taguchi, B; Hormazabal, S; Parada, C | Abstract: The goal of the Pacific Ocean Boundary Ecosystem and Climate Study (POBEX) was to diagnose the large-scale climate controls on regional transport dynamics and lower trophic marine ecosystem variability in Pacific Ocean boundary systems. An international team of collaborators shared observational and eddyresolving modeling data sets collected in the Northeast Pacific, including the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and the California Current System (CCS), the Humboldt or Peru-Chile Current System (PCCS), and the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension (KOE) region. POBEX investigators found that a dominant fraction of decadal variability in basin and regional-scale salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll, and zooplankton taxa is explained by a newly discovered pattern of ocean-climate variability dubbed the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). NPGO dynamics are driven by atmospheric variability in the North Pacific and capture the decadal expression of Central Pacific El Ninos in the extratropics, much as the PDO captures the low-frequency expression of eastern Pacific El Ninos. By combining hindcasts of eddy-resolving ocean models over the period 1950-2008 with model passive tracers and long-term observations (e.g., CalCOFI, Line-P, Newport Hydrographic Line, Odate Collection), POBEX showed that the PDO and the NPGO combine to control low-frequency upwelling and alongshore transport dynamics in the North Pacific sector, while the eastern Pacific El Nino dominates in the South Pacific. Although different climate modes have different regional expressions, changes in vertical transport (e.g., upwelling) were found to explain the dominant nutrient and phytoplankton variability in the CCS, GOA, and PCCS, while changes in alongshore transport forced much of the observed long-term change in zooplankton species composition in the KOE as well as in the northern and southern CCS. In contrast, cross-shelf transport dynamics were linked to mesoscale eddy activity, driven by regional-scale dynamics that are largely decoupled from variations associated with the large-scale climate modes. Preliminary findings suggest that mesoscale eddies play a key role in offshore transport of zooplankton and impact the life cycles of higher trophic levels (e.g., fish) in the CCS, PCCS, and GOA. Looking forward, POBEX results may guide the development of new modeling and observational strategies to establish mechanistic links among climate forcing, mesoscale circulation, and marine population dynamics. © 2013 by The Oceanography Society. All rights reserved.

Large‐scale climate control of zooplankton transport and biogeography in the Kuroshio‐Oyashio Extension region

We studied decadal‐scale climate control of zooplankton biogeography driven by Kuroshio Extension (KE) dynamics using long‐term zooplankton data and an advection model driven with currents from the Earth Simulator eddy‐resolving ocean model. Passive tracer model experiments indicated that warm‐water species transported from the south were retained in the Kuroshio‐Oyashio Extension (KOE) region during years with a weak KE. A 2.5 year lag in the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) index was significantly correlated with the KE strength and with warm‐water species abundance. These findings indicate that climate signals from the central and eastern North Pacific propagated westward, influencing not only transport in the KOE region but also regional ecosystem variability. Because the NPGO controls important aspects of the transport dynamics and ecosystem variability in the eastern North Pacific, this study provides additional evidence that large‐scale climate patterns drive coherent changes in ecosystems throughout the North Pacific by impacting regional‐scale transport dynamics.

A modeling study to explore on-shelf transport of oceanic zooplankton in the Eastern Bering Sea

The Eastern Bering Sea shelf is divided into distinct hydrographic domains by structural fronts. Despite frontal obstructions to cross-shelf transport, each year large oceanic copepods—primarily Neocalanus spp.—are known to dominate the biomass of the outer-shelf zooplankton communities, and in some years are advected into the middle-shelf domain. Using ROMS (the Regional Ocean Modeling System), coupled with a float tracking model designed to represent ontogenetic vertical migration behavior of Neocalanus, we explored the mechanisms, timing, and location of the transport of oceanic zooplankton onto the eastern Bering Sea shelf from overwintering sources along the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea shelf breaks, under a variety of environmental conditions. Our float tracking experiments suggest that the timing of on-shelf transport and the distribution of oceanic zooplankton on the shelf can vary substantially between one year and another. The Bering, Pribilof, and Zhemchug Canyons and Cape Navarin were all regions of elevated on-shelf float transport. Wind direction was the primary factor controlling inter-annual variability in the timing, amount, and location of the on-shelf transport of our Neocalanus floats. Float transport across the northern and southern shelves responded in opposite directions to inter-annual differences in wind forcing: southeasterly wind enhanced on-shelf transport of the Neocalanus floats along the southern shelf but suppressed on-shelf transport over the northern shelf. Conversely, northwesterly wind suppressed on-shelf zooplankton transport onto the southern shelf but promoted enhanced transport around Cape Navarin on the northern shelf. Transport of the Neocalanus floats onto the shelf can be very episodic, reflecting the short duration of winds that promote on-shelf transport. Relatively short (days to weeks) periods of southeasterly wind between March and April significantly impacted the number of floats transported onto the shelf. The relative importance of different source areas to supplying oceanic zooplankton to the Bering Sea shelf does not appear to vary much from year to year. Our model results suggest that the Neocalanus found on the southern shelf most likely originate from overwintering sites in the Alaska Stream or the Eastern Bering Sea shelf break south of the Pribilof Islands, while Neocalanus found on the northern shelf most likely originate from sites north of the Pribilof Islands.

Zooplankton dynamics in response to the transition from drought to flooding in four Murray–Darling Basin rivers affected by differing levels of flow regulation

Extreme low and high flow periods associated with droughts and floods regularly influence many river systems, yet little is known regarding their role in shaping riverine zooplankton communities. This study investigated zooplankton dynamics in response to the transition from drought to flooding in four southern Murray–Darling Basin rivers managed by different levels of flow regulation. Results indicated that the onset of flooding was associated with an increase in the taxon richness and total transport (abundance) of zooplankton in the unregulated Ovens and Kiewa Rivers, and an increase in the total transport of zooplankton in the mildly regulated Broken River. In comparison, no significant flood effects on zooplankton taxon richness or transport were detected in the highly regulated Murray River. This suggests that the flooding was beneficial for enhancing zooplankton abundance in the Ovens, Kiewa and Broken Rivers, whereas any potential benefits were comparatively short-term and/or reduced in the Murray River. We hypothesise that the relatively short-term and/or reduced response of the zooplankton community to the flooding in the Murray River was probably largely due to the occurrence of a hypoxic blackwater event in suppressing zooplankton emergence.

A comparison of the physics of the northern and southern shelves of the eastern Bering Sea and some implications for the ecosystem

Sufficient oceanographic measurements have been made in recent years to describe the latitudinal variation in the physics of the eastern Bering Sea shelf and the potential impact of climate change on the species assemblages in the two ecosystems (north and south). Many of the predicted ecosystem changes will result from alterations in the timing and extent of sea ice. It is predicted that the sea ice in the northern Bering Sea will be less common in May, but will continue to be extensive through April. In contrast, the southern shelf will have, on average, much less sea ice than currently observed, but with large interannual and multiyear variability until at least 2050. Thus, even under current climate warming scenarios, bottom temperatures on the northern shelf will remain cold. Based on biophysical measurements, the southern and northern ecosystems were divided by a North–South Transition at ∼60°N. The northern middle shelf was characterized by a freshwater lens at the surface, cold bottom temperatures, and a thicker pycnocline than found on the southern shelf. Subsurface phytoplankton blooms were common. In contrast, the southern shelf stratification was largely determined by temperature alone; the pycnocline was thin (often<3m) and subsurface blooms were uncommon. Biological responses to climate warming could include greater north–south differences in zooplankton community structure, the transport of large Outer Shelf Domain crustacean zooplankton to the middle shelf, and the disappearance of two principal prey taxa (Calanus spp. and Thysanoessa spp.) of planktivorous fish, seabirds and whales. The response of commercially and ecologically important fish species is predicted to vary. Some species of fish (e.g., juvenile sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka) may expand their summer range into the northern Bering Sea; some (e.g., pink salmon, O. gorbuscha) may increase in abundance while still other species (e.g., walleye pollock and arrowtooth flounder; Theragra chalcogramma and Atheresthes stomias, respectively) are unlikely to become common in the north. The projected warming of the southern shelf will limit the distribution of arctic species (e.g., snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio) to the northern shelf and will likely permit expansion of subarctic species into the southern Bering Sea. The distribution and abundance of baleen whales will respond to shifts in prey availability; for instance, if prey are advected northward from the southeastern Bering Sea, an extension of range and an increase in seasonally migratory baleen whale numbers is anticipated. Thus, alteration of this ecosystem in response to climate change is expected to result in something other than a simple northward shift in the distribution of all species.