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Gelatinous zooplankton of the Arctic Ocean: in situ observations under the ice

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Abstract

The gelatinous zooplankton of the Canada Basin were observed with a deep-diving remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during August–September, 2002. Taxa observed fell into four main groups: cnidarians, ctenophores, chaetognaths, and pelagic tunicates. We provide detailed data on the vertical distributions of many taxa from three sites which span the Canada Basin. The most common gelatinous organisms in the surface waters were the ctenophores Mertensia ovum and Bolinopsis infundibulum. These two species were found in very large numbers in the near-surface mixed layer. In the mesopelagic zone, below the transition from the Pacific water layer and the Atlantic water layer, the most common species was Sminthea arctica. Surprising numbers of the scyphomedusa Atolla tenella were found in the deep waters of the basin, along with an undescribed species of narcomedusae. The vertical distributions of the gelatinous zooplankton observed with the ROV show several trends related to the physical properties of the water and geographic location within the basin.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank F. McLaughlin, K. Crane, M. Youngbluth, M. Vecchione, M. Cole, E. Kristof, P. Nicklen, C. Nicholson, J. Potter, J. Steinberg Holland, K. Shirley, A. Raskoff, and G. Matsumoto. The cruise was a collaboration of many organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the National Science Foundation. NOAA’s office of Ocean Exploration sponsored the ROV work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Science and Environmental Policy, California State University, Monterey Bay, 100 Campus Center, Seaside, CA, 93955-8001, USA

    K. A. Raskoff

  2. Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, Anacortes, Washington, USA

    J. E. Purcell

  3. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

    R. R. Hopcroft

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  1. K. A. Raskoff
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  2. J. E. Purcell
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  3. R. R. Hopcroft
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Correspondence to K. A. Raskoff.

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Raskoff, K.A., Purcell, J.E. & Hopcroft, R.R. Gelatinous zooplankton of the Arctic Ocean: in situ observations under the ice. Polar Biol 28, 207–217 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0677-2

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