U.S. GLOBEC: Biological and Physical Evidence of Source Regions and Transport Patterns of Zooplankton on Georges Bank

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To address questions of zooplankton dispersal in the ocean, especially identification of sources of Calanus finmarchicus for recruitment to Georges Bank, we are using an integrated analysis of the population genetic character of the copepod and the hydrographic parameters of water mass and transport patterns in the western N. Atlantic. Our goal is to document, using biological and physical evidence, the sources and transport patterns that influence the annual increase of copepods on Georges Bank. For the population genetics effort, we are determining levels of genetic variation, evidence for sub-division into genetically distinct populations, and quantitative estimates of gene flow and dispersal across the sampling domain. For the hydrographic effort, we are using historical observations to provide a climatological perspective of water mass structure and variability. The primary archives are the Atlantic Fisheries Adjustment Program (AFAP) hydrographic database. We will also have access to the new NMFS data (not in NODC) for comparison with the climatological analyses we are producing.