Characteristics of the Arctic and Antarctic mesozooplankton in the neritic zone during summer. Polish Polar Research 25: 275–291

• Main Authors: Wojciech Walkusz, Sławomir Kwaśniewski, Katarzyna Dmoch, Haakon Hop, Maria Iwona Żmijewska, Luiza Bielecka, Jacek Siciński
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: Key words; Arctic (Kongsfjorden; Antarctic (Admiralty Bay; zooplankton; Copepoda; Admiralty Bay; Antarctic; Arctic; Antarc*; Kongsfjord*; Kongsfjorden; Mesozooplankton; Polish Polar Research; Zooplankton; Copepods
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.126; http://polar.pan.pl/ppr25/ppr25-275.pdf

ABSTRACT: Zooplankton community composition, abundance and biomass from two polar localities – Kongsfjorden (Arctic) and Admiralty Bay (Antarctic) is compared. The community composition of zooplankton in both polar regions included similar taxonomic groups and the diversity at the species level was similar. Even though the overall species composition was different, some species were common for both ecosystems, for example Oithona similis, Microcalanus pygmaeus or Eukrohnia hamata. The abundance and bio− mass of the main zooplankton components (Copepoda) differed greatly between the two ecosystems, both being of an order of magnitude higher in Kongsfjorden than in Admi− ralty Bay. Kongsfjorden is situated at the border of two regions what induces high produc− tivity with copepods playing an important role, and there is also a strong advection into the fjord. Admiralty Bay is adjacent to the homogenous Antarctic oceanic ecosystem; some advection into the bay occurs as an effect of tide and wind driven processes. Antarc− tic krill, which was not included in the present study, occupies most of the primary consumers niche and replaces copepods at the second trophic level.