U.S. GLOBEC: A Retrospective Analysis of Variability in Zooplankton Composition on Georges Bank and the Northwest Atlantic

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9632738 SOLOW As part of the U.S. GLOBEC Northwest Atlantic Field Studies, Phase 2 program this project will conduct a retrospective analysis of data previously collected from a moored array along the southern side of Georges Bank. The goal of the project is to study interannual to interdecadal variations in the relative abundance or composition of zooplankton communities on and around Georges Bank. Three factors are hypothesized to control zooplankton communities: 1) size-selective predation, 2) mesoscale advective or "wash-out" events, and 3) vertical mixing. Tests of these hypotheses will be considered during the three phases of this study. First, a newly developed statistical technique will be applied to MARMAP zooplankton data to identify trends in zooplankton composition on Georges Bank and the three adjacent regions, i.e., the Gulf of Maine, Southern New England, and the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Next, historical data on predator abundance, sea surface temperature, and wind/thermal stratification will be used to develop predictions about the expected effects on regional zooplankton compositions. Third, the analyses will be extended beyond the MARMAP period (1977- 1987), by incorporating data both from earlier surveys (Atlantis, 1939-1941; Continuous Plankton Recorder, 1962-1989) and from Phase I GLOBEC (1994-1996). ***