Edges and interfaces in the deep sea:
"Hot spots" for zooplankton

Karen Wishner, Ph.D.
University of Rhode Island

Monday, September 21, 1998
3:00 p.m.—Pacific Forum

Water column interfaces in the deep sea appear to be sites of relatively high zooplankton abundances and activity. For example, enhanced deep-sea zooplankton biomasses or rates have been documented in the benthic boundary layer, within the water column where water masses meet, and at the upper and lower boundaries of the oxygen minimum zone. It is possible that the effects of the deep-sea zooplankton on such processes as carbon cycling and particle modification are in fact concentrated within the relatively narrow depth ranges of these interfaces. Future work on the pelagic deep-sea ecosystem would benefit by targeting these zones for multidisciplinary studies.

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