Seasonal carbon distribution of copepods in the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica
In: Journal of Marine Systems. Elsevier: Tokyo; Oxford; New York; Amsterdam. ISSN 0924-7963; e-ISSN 1879-1573, more Also appears in:Le Fèvre, J.; Tréguer, P. (Ed.) (1998). Carbon Fluxes and Dynamic Processes in the Southern Ocean: Present and Past. Selected papers from the International JGOFS Symposium, Brest, France, 28-31 August 1995. Journal of Marine Systems, 17(1-4). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 1-619 pp., more |  |
| Keywords | Aquatic communities > Plankton > Zooplankton
Cycles > Life cycle
Distribution > Geographical distribution > Vertical distribution
Fauna > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic animals > Shellfish > Marine organisms > Marine crustaceans
Organic matter > Carbon > Organic carbon
Population characteristics > Biomass
Profiles > Vertical profiles
Taxa > Species > Dominant species
Temporal variations > Periodic variations > Seasonal variations
Calanoides acutus (Giesbrecht, 1902) [WoRMS]; Calanus propinquus Brady, 1883 [WoRMS]; Copepoda [WoRMS]; Euchaeta antarctica Giesbrecht, 1902 [WoRMS]; Metridia gerlachei Giesbrecht, 1902 [WoRMS]; Microcalanus pygmaeus (Sars G.O., 1900) [WoRMS]
PSW, Weddell Sea [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top | - Schnack-Schiel, S.B.
- Hagen, W.
- Mizdalski, E.
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| Abstract | Copepods were sampled by a multiple opening-closing net in the eastern Weddell Sea during various seasons (late winter/early spring, summer, autumn). Total copepod biomass integrated over the upper 1000 m varied seasonally between 1.7 mg C m−3 in late winter/early spring and 3.7 mg C m−3 in autumn. After the dark season the copepods were rather evenly distributed vertically and highest biomass levels were found in the mid-water layers between about 200 m and 500 m. By contrast, especially in summer but also in autumn copepod biomass concentrated in the uppermost water layer. A total of 64 calanoid species were identified in the upper 1000 m with maximum species numbers in the deepest layer. The large calanoids Calanus propinquus, Calanoides acutus, Metridia gerlachei, Euchaeta antarctica and the small calanoid Microcalanus pygmaeus prevailed and accounted for 60–70% of total copepod biomass, while the small poecilostomatoid Oncaea and the cyclopoid Oithona species comprised about 20%. Hence, the distribution pattern of the entire copepod biomass is strongly influenced by the life cycles of a few dominant species. |
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