Under-ice zooplankton of the western Weddell Sea

• Main Authors: Larisa L. Menshenina, Igor A. Melnikov
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; Antarctica; Euphausia superba; Copepods
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.610.8201; http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp/~penguin/polarbiosci/issues/pdf/1995-Menshenina.pdf

Abstract: Species composition, abundance, and seasonal dynamics of the under-ice zooplankton collected during the USA-Russia ISW-1 Expedition, from the end of February to the middle of May in 1992, in the western rim of the Weddell Sea Gyre are presented. Zooplankton were collected by a diver with plankton landing net directly from the under-ice surface (0 m layer) and at 5-m depth. Larvae and postlarvae of Euphausia superba (Euphausiidae), Oithona sirnilis, Stephos longipes, Paralabidocera antarctica, Pseudocyclopina belgicae, Micro-calanus pigrnaeus and Ctenocalanus citer (Copepoda) were most abundant in both layers. Differences in the stage composition and abundance of these species between two layers (0 and 5m) were found. E. superba, S, longipes, P. antarctica and P. belgicae were numerous near the under-ice surface and scarce at 5 m. 0. sirnilis density was greater at 5 m than at 0 m. M. pigrnaeus and C. citer were comparatively greater in number at 5m. Seasonal changes in abundance and stage structure of euphausiids and copepods are discussed. A delay in seasonal development of E. superba, S. longipes, P. antarctica and P. belgicae comparing is shown. 1.