Meso-zooplankton abundance and spatial distribution off Lutzow-Holm Bay during austral summer 2007-2008

• Published in: Polar Science
• Main Authors: Makabe, R, Tanimura, A, Tamura, T, Hirano, D, Shimada, K, Hashihama, F, Fukuchi, M
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Science Bv 2017
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Ecology; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Austral; Polar Science; Sea ice; Copepods
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2016.09.002; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/114491

To elucidate spatial differences in mesozooplankton community structure in local scale, vertical hauls using a 60-μm mesh closing net were carried out off Ltzow-Holm Bay in January 2008. All of the zooplankton samples collected from three layers (0100, 100200, and 200500m) at seven stations were dominated by Oithona spp., Oncaea spp., Ctenocalanus citer , Microcalanus pygmaeus , and copepod nauplii. The cluster analysis of mesozooplankton abundances showed three distinct groups according to sampling depth, which appeared to be due to the preferential vertical distribution of dominant copepods. The other cluster analysis on integrated abundance upper 500m revealed that mesozooplankton community structures at stations located on the western and eastern edges of the observation area (Cluster A) differed from those at the central stations (Cluster B). Abundance of copepod nauplii, Oithona spp., and C . citer differed between Clusters A and B, which was likely caused by differences in recruitment and early development in the dominant copepods, being associated with the timing and duration of ice edge blooms. This suggests that such heterogeneity in abundance and recruitment/development of dominant taxa was likely caused by local heterogeneity in sea ice dynamics. This may affect our understanding of zooplankton distribution.