Correlations between Halobates Distributions and Physical Processes at the Sea Surface.
Abstract
Five sea-skater species, each with a well-defined geographical range, are specifically adapted to live on the surface film. (1) Analyses of an 18-month time series showed that the range of Halobates micans and H. sericeus in the Pacific Ocean are generally separate. H. micans is restricted to a zone between 11 deg. N and 10 deg S., with amphitropical populations of H. sericeus north and south of this region. The separate ranges of the two species are associated with permanent large-scale surface circulation patterns. (2) Theoretical calculations showed that oceanic diffusion alone could carry Halobates from an initial point of origin to 2500 m in 60 days. Mutual encounter rates due to oceanic turbulence could be as high as 11/day even at low population densities (110/km2), while the encounter rate due to random movements is less than 0.6/day. An individual could find mates even when it had been carried long distances away. (3) Preliminary results from mtDNA sequences of regions of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) revealed that although North Atlantic and Arabian Sea H. m/cans appear to be closely related, there was high genetic divergence between N. Pacific and Arabian Sea populations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA332294
Entities
People
- Lanna Cheng
Organizations
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography