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Biomass and trophic structure of the plankton community in subtropical and temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

This study examined the biomass structure of autotrophic and heterotrophic plankton along a trophic gradient in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in an attempt to understand planktonic food web structure. Autotrophic biomass exceeded that of heterotrophic organisms in all sampling regions, but with lesser contribution to total planktonic biomass at stations of higher phytoplankton biomass, including the northern East China Sea, compared to the regions of lower phytoplankton biomass. The proportion of the biomass of heterotrophic bacteria, nanoflagellates (HNF), and dinoflagellates (HDF) relative to that of phytoplankton was all inversely related to phytoplankton biomass, but positive relationships were observed for both ciliates and mesozooplankton. Mesozooplankton biomass inclined greater than phytoplankton along the gradient of phytoplankton biomass, with biomass rise being most closely associated with ciliate and HDF biomass and, to a lesser degree, with large phytoplankton (>3 μm). Both bacteria and picophytoplankton were significantly and positively related to the biomass ratio of mesozooplankton to the sum of HDF and ciliates (i.e., proxy of mesozooplankton predation on protozoans), but no positive relationship was apparent either for HNF or for large phytoplankton. Such relationships may result from predation relief on lower food webs associated with mesozooplankton feeding on protistan plankton.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the captain and crew of the R/V Eardo, who were most helpful with all our shipboard operations. This work was supported by the KORDI project PE98731 and PM56600. E.J. Yang was supported by KOPRI project (PE10290).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Park Research Institute, Korea National Park Service, Namwon, 590-811, Korea

    Chang-Rae Lee

  2. Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), Ansan, P.O. Box 29, Seoul, 425-600, Korea

    Keun-Hyung Choi, Hyung-Ku Kang, Jae Hoon Noh & Dong Han Choi

  3. Korea Polar Research Institute, KOPRI, Incheon, 406-840, Korea

    Eun Jin Yang

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  1. Chang-Rae Lee
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Correspondence to Hyung-Ku Kang.

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Lee, CR., Choi, KH., Kang, HK. et al. Biomass and trophic structure of the plankton community in subtropical and temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. J Oceanogr 68, 473–482 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-012-0111-2

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