Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT)
in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa |
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UPDATED: 1 January 2009
SUMMARY: Mesozooplankton (weak swimmers 0.2-20 mm size) are collected
using oblique tows of a 1-m2 net (202-µm mesh
netting) from the surface to approximately 175 m depth. The catch is
size fractionated by washing through a nested set of net filters and
each fraction analyzed for dry weight, C and N.
1. PrincipleLarge zooplankton and micronekton play important roles in the export of organic material from surface waters in the open ocean. Global Ocean Flux planning models suggest that the relationship between primary production and passive particulate export flux is strongly influenced by size structure of the zooplankton community (e.g., Paffenhöffer & Knowles, 1979; Small et al., 1987; Frost, 1984). Active vertical migrations also have important implications for the transport and transformation of surface-derived organic particulates to dissolved inorganic constituents at depth (Longhurst & Harrison, 1988; Longhurst et al., 1990; Al-Mutairi & Landry, 2001; Hannides et al., 2008). The zooplankton component of the time-series sampling effort allows such processes to be considered in the interpretation of seasonal and interannual variations in measured flux and the elemental mass balance (e.g., carbon and nitrogen sources and sinks) of the euphotic zone. At Station ALOHA, 6 net tows are scheduled per cruise. Three midnight (2200 - 0200) and 3 mid-day (1000 - 1400) oblique tows are done using a 1-m2 net (3-m length) with 202-µm mesh Nitex netting. The net is towed obliquely at approximately 1 knot, from the surface to approximately 175 m and then back to the surface. Towing time is approximately 20-30 minutes. The tows are subsequently size-fractioned and analyzed for mesozooplankton wet and dry weight and C and N biomass. 2. Field Operations
3. Determination of Mass
4. Particulate C and N
5. Equipment/Supplies/Reagents
6. ResultsTemporal variation in mesozooplankton biomass during 1994-2018 is presented in Figure 64. Both zooplankton dry weight biomass (upper panel) and wet weight biomass (lower panel) are plotted. On average, zooplankton dry weight biomass was 12% of zooplankton wet weight biomass during the day (shown in red) and 13% during the night (shown in blue). The difference in biomass between zooplankton collected during the night and zooplankton collected during the day at Station ALOHA was significant for both dry and wet weights, and was caused by the upward migration of deep-living zooplankton and micronekton after sunset. 7. ReferencesAl-Mutairi, H. and M.R. Landry. 2001. Active export of carbon and nitrogen at Station ALOHA by diel migrant zooplankton. Deep-Sea Res. II. 48: 2083- 2104. Frost, B.W. 1984. Utilization of phytoplankton production in the surface layer. Pages 125-134 in Global Ocean Flux Study: Proceedings of a Workshop, September 10-14, 1984. Hannides, C.C.S., M.R. Landry, C.R. Benitez-Nelson, R.M. Styles, J.P. Montoya and D.M. Karl. 2008. Export stoichiometry and migrant-mediated flux of phosphorus in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Deep-Sea Res. I, 56: 73-88. Kuba, D.M. 1970. Sampling midwater fish using the ten-foot Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl and the Cobb pelagic trawl. MS Thesis, Univ. Hawaii, 35 pp. Landry, M.R., H. Al-Mutairi, K.E. Selph, S. Christensen and S, Nunnery. 2001. Seasonal patterns of mesozooplankton abundance and biomass at Station ALOHA. Deep-Sea Res. II. 48: 2037-2062. Longhurst, A.R. and W.G. Harrison. 1988. Vertical nitrogen flux from the oceanic photic zone by diel migrant zooplankton and nekton. Deep-Sea Res. 35: 881-890. Longhurst, A.R., A. Bedo, W.G. Harrison, E.J.H. Head and D.D. Sameoto. 1990. Vertical flux of respiratory carbon by oceanic diel migrant biota. Deep- Sea Res. 37: 685-694. Ortner, P.B., S.R. Cummings, R.P. Aftring and H.E. Edgerton. 1979. Silhouette photography of oceanic zooplankton. Nature 277: 50-51. Paffenhfer, G.-A. and S.C. Knowles. 1979. Ecological implications of fecal pellet size, production and consumption. J. Mar. Res. 37: 35-49. Sheridan, C.C. and M.R. Landry. 2004. A nine-year increasing trend in mesozooplankton biomass at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station ALOHA. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 61: 457-463. Small, L.F., G.A. Knauer and M.D. Tuel. 1987. The role of sinking fecal pellets in stratified euphotic zones. Deep- Sea Res. 34: 1705-1712. Strickland, J.D.H. and T.R. Parsons. 1972. A Practical Handbood of Seawater Analysis, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 167 pp. |