Physical Forcing of Zooplankton Population Dynamics
Abstract
We have pioneered methods for using modern, high resolution sampling technology (the Optical Plankton Counter, or OPC) to: (1) Demonstrate the strong relationship between physical forcing and zooplankton distributions at the mesoscale. Our studies in the California Current show that zooplankton distributions and dynamics are strongly forced by mesoscale features such as eddies and jets. This scale of interaction has gone entirely unobserved by the 50 year long CalCOFl program due to sampling bias. (2) Develop a new method, based on biomass spectral theory, for estimating the productivity of zooplankton at high spatial and temporal resolution. This method utilizes data gathered from OPC, and can be applied easily and rapidly. Our example of application in the California Current demonstrated low productivity in the central jet, and higher productivity in the eddy region immediately adjacent to the jet. (3) Elucidate the mechanism of biological attraction, a biological force that acts to counter dispersive physical forces, and thus to maintain aggregations of single species on fine scale (100s of meters). We developed the theory and demonstrated its application, again with modern sampling technology (ADCP). The successful completion of this project has clearly demonstrated the application of several modern biological measuring devices that can be effectively deployed at the same temporal and spatial scales as might be common in physical oceanography. The conjunction of these methods with concurrent physical measurements is an extremely powerful tool for understanding marine ecosystems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA352487
Entities
People
- Mark E. Huntley
Organizations
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography