Zooplankton variability at four monitoring sites of the Northeast Atlantic shelves differing in latitude and trophic status

• Published in: Journal of Plankton Research
• Main Authors: Fanjul, A, Villate, F, Uriarte, A, Iriarte, A, Atkinson, A, Cook, K
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Ecology and Environment; Marine Sciences; Oceanography; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7796/; http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7796/1/BUPS1.Text.Version1%20%282%29_AA.pdf; https://academic.oup.com/plankt/article/39/6/891/4564467; https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbx054

Zooplankton abundance series (1999–2013) from the coastal sites of Bilbao 35 (B35), Urdaibai 35 (U35), Plymouth L4 (L4) and Stonehaven (SH), in the Northeast Atlantic were compared to assess differences in the magnitude of seasonal, interannual and residual scales of variability, and in patterns of seasonal and interannual variation in relation to latitudinal location and trophic status. Results showed highest seasonal variability at SH consistent with its northernmost location, highest interannual variability at U35 associated to an atypical event identified in 2012 in the Bay of Biscay, and highest residual variability at U35 and B35 likely related to lower sampling frequency and higher natural and anthropogenic stress. Interannual zooplankton variations were not coherent across sites, suggesting the dominance of local influences over large scale environmental drivers. For most taxa the seasonal pattern showed coherent differences across sites, the northward delay of the annual peak being the most common feature. The between-site seasonal differences in spring–summer zooplankton taxa were related mainly to phytoplankton biomass, in turn, related to differences in latitude or anthropogenic nutrient enrichment. The northward delay in water cooling likely accounted for between-site seasonal differences in taxa that increase in the second half of the year.