Zooplankton counting protocol

In the laboratory, the MOCNESS 12m samples selected for analysis are split with a folsom splitter to provide a subsample of about 1000-1200 total zooplankton animals. Calanus finmarchicus and Pseudocalanus spp. copepodites are identified to stage. Adults of other copepods are identified to species while copepodites are grouped and identified to species where possible (e.g. Temora longicornis), or to genus where it is not possible to identify the younger copepodite stages of individual species (e.g. Centropages hamatus, C. typicus and C. bradyi). Other zooplankton taxa are identified to the lowest possible taxon and enumerated. Nauplii present in MOCNESS samples are not counted since, with the possible exception of the last two C. finmarchicus naupliar stages, they are not quantitatively sampled.
Ted Durbin
August 26, 1997