Durbin, E.1 and M. Casas1
1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, Narragansett, RI 02882
Spatial variability of copepods on Georges Bank are controlled by physical processes and life history characteristics.
Georges Bank is a highly productive shallow bank with complex hydrography and circulation patterns, and high abundances of invertebrate predators. During the winter-spring period the zooplankton is dominated by a group of copepods including non-resident species which are advected onto the bank from outside (e. g. Calanus finmarchicus, Pseudocalanus spp., Oithona similis, and Metridia lucens), and resident species which are sustained by locally hatching resting eggs (e.g. Centropages typicus, C. hamatus, and Temora longicornis). In addition the species are distinguished between those which carry their eggs (Oithona, Pseudocalanus), and those which broadcast their eggs into the water column. These taxa show different spatial patterns of abundance on the bank during the winter-spring study period. We discuss these patterns with respect to their life history patterns and the dominant biological and physical processes affecting them.A powerpoint version and an html version of this presentation are available on-line.