Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods
The oligotrophic Sargasso Sea in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is influenced by a complex set of oceanographic features that might introduce nutrients and enhance productivity in certain areas. To increase our understanding of the variability in plankton communities and to determine t...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2011
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/distribution-and-production-of-plankton-communities-in-the-subtropical-convergence-zone-of-the-sargasso-sea-ii-protozooplankton-and-copepods(bb930838-c6d4-4254-97f8-1bbc0156d996).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 |
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/bb930838-c6d4-4254-97f8-1bbc0156d996 |
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record_format |
openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
topic |
Sargasso Sea Ciliates Heterotrophic dinoflagellates Copepods Convergence zone ZOOPLANKTON GROWTH-RATES ATLANTIC TIME-SERIES EGG-PRODUCTION PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH SECONDARY PRODUCTION KINGSTON HARBOR ACARTIA-TONSA INDIAN-OCEAN ANNUAL CYCLE FOOD-WEB |
spellingShingle |
Sargasso Sea Ciliates Heterotrophic dinoflagellates Copepods Convergence zone ZOOPLANKTON GROWTH-RATES ATLANTIC TIME-SERIES EGG-PRODUCTION PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH SECONDARY PRODUCTION KINGSTON HARBOR ACARTIA-TONSA INDIAN-OCEAN ANNUAL CYCLE FOOD-WEB Andersen, Nikolaj Gedsted Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Jakobsen, Hans Henrik Munk, Peter Riemann, Lasse Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
topic_facet |
Sargasso Sea Ciliates Heterotrophic dinoflagellates Copepods Convergence zone ZOOPLANKTON GROWTH-RATES ATLANTIC TIME-SERIES EGG-PRODUCTION PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH SECONDARY PRODUCTION KINGSTON HARBOR ACARTIA-TONSA INDIAN-OCEAN ANNUAL CYCLE FOOD-WEB |
description |
The oligotrophic Sargasso Sea in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is influenced by a complex set of oceanographic features that might introduce nutrients and enhance productivity in certain areas. To increase our understanding of the variability in plankton communities and to determine the potential reasons why Atlantic eels Anguilla spp. use this area for spawning, we investigated the distribution and productivity of the zooplankton community across the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) in the Sargasso Sea in March and April 2007. The vertical and horizontal distributions of protozoans and metazooplankton were investigated at 33 stations along 3 north to south transects ranging from 64 to 70 degrees W to a depth of 400 m. Copepods dominated the metazooplankton, while heterotrophic athecate dinoflagellates dominated the protozoan biomass. Other important groups were appendicularians, gastropod larvae and ostracods. Most of the recorded metazoan groups responded numerically to the frontal features (i.e. the surfacing of the isotherms) with high abundance in the STCZ compared with areas north and south of this. Juvenile copepod growth and egg production peaked in the STCZ, with a weight-specific growth rate of juvenile copepods ranging from 0.09 to 0.21 d(-1), and a much lower specific egg production in the order of 0.01% d(-1). The Sargasso Sea is described as oligotrophic, but the availability of athecate dinoflagellates and ciliates in the STCZ potentially leads to an enhanced mesozooplankton secondary production, which may in turn be available to organisms at higher trophic levels such as larvae of Atlantic eels The oligotrophic Sargasso Sea in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is influenced by a complex set of oceanographic features that might introduce nutrients and enhance productivity in certain areas. To increase our understanding of the variability in plankton communities and to determine the potential reasons why Atlantic eels Anguilla spp. use this area for spawning, we investigated the distribution and productivity of the zooplankton community across the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) in the Sargasso Sea in March and April 2007. The vertical and horizontal distributions of protozoans and metazooplankton were investigated at 33 stations along 3 north to south transects ranging from 64 to 70 degrees W to a depth of 400 m. Copepods dominated the metazooplankton, while heterotrophic athecate dinoflagellates dominated the protozoan biomass. Other important groups were appendicularians, gastropod larvae and ostracods. Most of the recorded metazoan groups responded numerically to the frontal features (i.e. the surfacing of the isotherms) with high abundance in the STCZ compared with areas north and south of this. Juvenile copepod growth and egg production peaked in the STCZ, with a weight-specific growth rate of juvenile copepods ranging from 0.09 to 0.21 d(-1), and a much lower specific egg production in the order of 0.01% d(-1). The Sargasso Sea is described as oligotrophic, but the availability of athecate dinoflagellates and ciliates in the STCZ potentially leads to an enhanced mesozooplankton secondary production, which may in turn be available to organisms at higher trophic levels such as larvae of Atlantic eels |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Andersen, Nikolaj Gedsted Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Jakobsen, Hans Henrik Munk, Peter Riemann, Lasse |
author_facet |
Andersen, Nikolaj Gedsted Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Jakobsen, Hans Henrik Munk, Peter Riemann, Lasse |
author_sort |
Andersen, Nikolaj Gedsted |
title |
Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
title_short |
Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
title_full |
Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
title_fullStr |
Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
title_full_unstemmed |
Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods |
title_sort |
distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the sargasso sea. ii. protozooplankton and copepods |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/distribution-and-production-of-plankton-communities-in-the-subtropical-convergence-zone-of-the-sargasso-sea-ii-protozooplankton-and-copepods(bb930838-c6d4-4254-97f8-1bbc0156d996).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 |
geographic |
Indian |
geographic_facet |
Indian |
genre |
North Atlantic Copepods |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Copepods |
op_source |
Andersen , N G , Nielsen , T G , Jakobsen , H H , Munk , P & Riemann , L 2011 , ' Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods ' , Marine Ecology - Progress Series , vol. 426 , pp. 71-86 . https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
426 |
container_start_page |
71 |
op_container_end_page |
86 |
_version_ |
1766133585384833024 |
spelling |
ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/bb930838-c6d4-4254-97f8-1bbc0156d996 2023-05-15T17:34:41+02:00 Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods Andersen, Nikolaj Gedsted Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Jakobsen, Hans Henrik Munk, Peter Riemann, Lasse 2011 https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/distribution-and-production-of-plankton-communities-in-the-subtropical-convergence-zone-of-the-sargasso-sea-ii-protozooplankton-and-copepods(bb930838-c6d4-4254-97f8-1bbc0156d996).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Andersen , N G , Nielsen , T G , Jakobsen , H H , Munk , P & Riemann , L 2011 , ' Distribution and production of plankton communities in the subtropical convergence zone of the Sargasso Sea. II. protozooplankton and copepods ' , Marine Ecology - Progress Series , vol. 426 , pp. 71-86 . https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 Sargasso Sea Ciliates Heterotrophic dinoflagellates Copepods Convergence zone ZOOPLANKTON GROWTH-RATES ATLANTIC TIME-SERIES EGG-PRODUCTION PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH SECONDARY PRODUCTION KINGSTON HARBOR ACARTIA-TONSA INDIAN-OCEAN ANNUAL CYCLE FOOD-WEB article 2011 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09047 2022-02-24T00:08:41Z The oligotrophic Sargasso Sea in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is influenced by a complex set of oceanographic features that might introduce nutrients and enhance productivity in certain areas. To increase our understanding of the variability in plankton communities and to determine the potential reasons why Atlantic eels Anguilla spp. use this area for spawning, we investigated the distribution and productivity of the zooplankton community across the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) in the Sargasso Sea in March and April 2007. The vertical and horizontal distributions of protozoans and metazooplankton were investigated at 33 stations along 3 north to south transects ranging from 64 to 70 degrees W to a depth of 400 m. Copepods dominated the metazooplankton, while heterotrophic athecate dinoflagellates dominated the protozoan biomass. Other important groups were appendicularians, gastropod larvae and ostracods. Most of the recorded metazoan groups responded numerically to the frontal features (i.e. the surfacing of the isotherms) with high abundance in the STCZ compared with areas north and south of this. Juvenile copepod growth and egg production peaked in the STCZ, with a weight-specific growth rate of juvenile copepods ranging from 0.09 to 0.21 d(-1), and a much lower specific egg production in the order of 0.01% d(-1). The Sargasso Sea is described as oligotrophic, but the availability of athecate dinoflagellates and ciliates in the STCZ potentially leads to an enhanced mesozooplankton secondary production, which may in turn be available to organisms at higher trophic levels such as larvae of Atlantic eels The oligotrophic Sargasso Sea in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean is influenced by a complex set of oceanographic features that might introduce nutrients and enhance productivity in certain areas. To increase our understanding of the variability in plankton communities and to determine the potential reasons why Atlantic eels Anguilla spp. use this area for spawning, we investigated the distribution and productivity of the zooplankton community across the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) in the Sargasso Sea in March and April 2007. The vertical and horizontal distributions of protozoans and metazooplankton were investigated at 33 stations along 3 north to south transects ranging from 64 to 70 degrees W to a depth of 400 m. Copepods dominated the metazooplankton, while heterotrophic athecate dinoflagellates dominated the protozoan biomass. Other important groups were appendicularians, gastropod larvae and ostracods. Most of the recorded metazoan groups responded numerically to the frontal features (i.e. the surfacing of the isotherms) with high abundance in the STCZ compared with areas north and south of this. Juvenile copepod growth and egg production peaked in the STCZ, with a weight-specific growth rate of juvenile copepods ranging from 0.09 to 0.21 d(-1), and a much lower specific egg production in the order of 0.01% d(-1). The Sargasso Sea is described as oligotrophic, but the availability of athecate dinoflagellates and ciliates in the STCZ potentially leads to an enhanced mesozooplankton secondary production, which may in turn be available to organisms at higher trophic levels such as larvae of Atlantic eels Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Copepods University of Copenhagen: Research Indian Marine Ecology Progress Series 426 71 86 |