Table 1. Time-Scale Relationships Among Physical and Biological Processes in the CCS, Emphasizing Mesoscale Processes

Frequency | Physical Events | Biological Responses
--- | --- | ---
Annual | Alongshore jet formation/dissipation; high-low cycle in mesoscale activity. | Phenological responses (ontogenetic migrations, diapause, spawning migrations, selection of spawning timing, large scale horizontal migrations).
Semi-seasonal | Filament formation, extension, decay; eddy persistence. | Production and stock responses in zooplankton and small nekton (through spawning and growth variations); food storage, use of stored nutriment.
Weeks | Rotation period within features; feature translation alongshore. | "Vulnerability scale" - changes in life-stage maturation, reproductive activity. (Vulnerability to predators varies sharply with size, stage, and related escape capability. It may either decrease or increase with developmental progress).
Days | Weather, upwelling-downwelling cycle. | Production and stock responses in phytoplankton and microzooplankton; some mesoscale migratory responses?
Diel | Illumination cycle; local heating and cooling; convective turbulence cycling. | Daily vertical migrations; daily activity cycles including feeding, metabolism, mating, molting, etc.
Short Scales | Surface waves; internal waves; light flicker (hours to msec); cloud shifts; turbulent rotations in all axes. | Feeding bout cycling; swimming search patterns; near-field collision and predator avoidance; body orientation.