Abstract
Fieldwork was carried out at Kerguelen Islands. Two groups of stations in a coastal area, the Morbihan gulf, were surveyed. At both stations, macroplankton biomass ranged from 2.3 mg dry weight m−3 to 89 mg dry weight m−3 and consisted mostly of Themisto gaudichaudii with values ranging from 1.9 mg dry weight m−3 to 50.6 mg dry weight m−3. Biomass was high for sub-Antarctic waters with marked seasonal and inter-zone differences. Biomass minima were observed at the end of the winter, from September to November, while maxima were recorded in summer and in early fall at the beginning of the year between January and April. T. gaudichaudii showed a recruitment of new size classes, mainly from November to January, followed by a rapid growth phase in summer, which slowed down during the southern winter period. Individuals breed after 1 year. Large individuals, older than 1 year, were not a significant presence in the gulf of Morbihan. The main pattern of the population dynamics were characterised by an univoltine life cycle with a very high biomass marked by a strong seasonal signal linked with the hydrological and trophic parameters of the Gulf.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank F. Alonzo, G. Fradet, N. Gasco, L. Guérin, F. Jiguet, B. Labidoire, G. Roudaut and the crew of the research vessel La Curieuse for their work in the field. Analysis of the data was supported financially by a grant from the Groupement de Recherche en Environnement 1069 "Ecosystèmes Polaires et Anthropisation" from the C.N.R.S. (Programme IOZ: Interactions Oiseaux-Zooplancton). Field work was supported financially and logistically by the Institut Français pour la Recherche et la Technologie Polaires (IFRTP, Programmes N°109 and 166), and the Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises.
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Labat, JP., Mayzaud, P. & Sabini, S. Population dynamics of Themisto gaudichaudii in Kerguelen Islands waters, Southern Indian Ocean. Polar Biol 28, 776–783 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0003-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0003-7