•Seasonal density stratification over the southern flank of the Bank causes prey aggregation in the pycnocline and increased survival of predator populations •Differences in phytoplankton abundance and species composition mediated by differences in water column stability result in measureable differences in copepod recruitment and growth rates. This leads to greater abundances in one region over another, due solely to high growth rates in situ •Turbulent mixing, generated by wind and tidal forcing, has a significant impact on rates of ingestion, respiration and predation; the processes of turbulent mixing and seasonal density stratification influence predator-prey encounter rates and thus growth and survival of individual organisms