Abundance, feeding and reproduction of Calanus finmarchicus in the Irminger Sea and on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge in June

Ástthór Gislason, Eilif Gaard, Høgni Hammershaimb Debes, Tone Falkenhaug

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Measurements of hydrography, chlorophyll a, abundance, egg production rates and gut fluorescence of Calanus finmarchicus were made on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, along a north–south transect extending from Iceland to the Azores (ca 60–44°N, 25–35°W) in June 2004. In addition, similar data were sampled in the Irminger Sea and on the Reykjanes Ridge in June 2003. The results show marked differences in abundance, phytoplankton ingestion rates and egg production rates from north to south. C. finmarchicus was most
abundant in the central Irminger Sea (ca 80,000–160,000 individuals m-2, 0–100 m), with abundance declining drastically (Fracture Zone also was observed. Phytoplankton ingestion rates, as based on gut fluorescence analysis, were the greatest in the northern Irminger Sea and in slope waters south of Greenland (ca 8–28 mg C female d-1). The relationships between egg production rates and ingestion rates on the one hand and egg production rates and chlorophyll a concentrations on the other were described by Ivlev curves. The possible causes for the observed spatial variability in abundance and productivity of C. finmarchicus are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)72-82
Number of pages11
JournalDeep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
Volume55
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • Egg production
  • Gut fluorescence
  • Vertical distribution
  • Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  • Irminger Sea

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Abundance, feeding and reproduction of Calanus finmarchicus in the Irminger Sea and on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge in June'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this