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Seasonal changes in the mesozooplankton biomass and community structure in subarctic and subtropical time-series stations in the western North Pacific

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Abstract

Seasonal changes in mesozooplankton biomass and their community structures were observed at time-series stations K2 (subarctic) and S1 (subtropical) in the western North Pacific Ocean. At K2, the maximum biomass was observed during the spring when primary productivity was still low. The annual mean biomasses in the euphotic and 200- to 1000-m layers were 1.39 (day) and 2.49 (night) g C m−2 and 4.00 (day) and 3.63 (night) g C m−2, respectively. Mesozooplankton vertical distribution was bimodal and mesopelagic peak was observed in a 200- to 300-m layer; it mainly comprised dormant copepods. Copepods predominated in most sampling layers, but euphausiids were dominant at the surface during the night. At S1, the maximum biomass was observed during the spring and the peak timing of biomass followed those of chlorophyll a and primary productivity. The annual mean biomasses in the euphotic and 200- to 1000-m layers were 0.10 (day) and 0.21 (night) g C m−2 and 0.47 (day) and 0.26 (night) g C m−2, respectively. Copepods were dominant in most sampling layers, but their mean proportion was lower than that in K2. Mesozooplankton community characteristics at both sites were compared with those at other time-series stations in the North Pacific and with each other. The annual mean primary productivities and sinking POC fluxes were equivalent at both sites; however, mesozooplankton biomasses were higher at K2 than at S1. The difference of biomasses was probably caused by differences of individual carbon losses, population turnover rates, and trophic structures of communities between the two sites.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the officers and crew of the R/V “Mirai” for their co-operation at sea. We also thank the staff of Marine Works Japan Ltd. and Global Ocean Development Inc. for their support during sample collection. We further acknowledge the valuable comments of two anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Development Center for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Minoru Kitamura & Kosei Sasaoka

  2. Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 4-50-20 Shimoarata, Kagoshima, 890-0056, Japan

    Toru Kobari & Kazuyuki Tanabe

  3. Department of Environmental Geochemical Cycle Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Makio C. Honda & Kazuhiko Matsumoto

  4. Aquatic Sciences, Graduate School of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 4-50-20 Shimoarata, Kagoshima, 890-0056, Japan

    Rie Nakamura

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  1. Minoru Kitamura
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Kitamura, M., Kobari, T., Honda, M.C. et al. Seasonal changes in the mesozooplankton biomass and community structure in subarctic and subtropical time-series stations in the western North Pacific. J Oceanogr 72, 387–402 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-015-0347-8

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