GLOBEC: Microzooplankton in the Northern California Current System

微型浮游动物是200克大小的食草生物，在海洋浮游食物网中发挥核心作用，是浮游植物的重要消费者，也是大型浮游动物的主要食物来源。PI将在GLOBEC加州洋流系统（CCS）长期观察计划（LTOP）中收集的物理、化学和生物数据的背景下，提供有关GLOBEC加州洋流系统（CCS）中微型浮游动物种群的详细信息。 他们将记录CCS中微型动物浮游原生生物分布的时间（季节性和年际）和空间（沿岸和从海岸到近海）变化。研究的具体目标是：1）回顾性分析1997年9月强厄尔尼诺现象期间和1998年9月厄尔尼诺现象缓解后沿着俄勒冈州纽波特（NH）线收集的样本中的CCS微型浮游动物种群，2）作为LTOP计划的一部分，到2003年9月，对CCS中的微型浮游动物种群进行季节性/区域采样，3）分析微型浮游动物种群的空间和年际变化与作为LTOP考察的一部分收集的环境参数之间的关系，以及4）估算微型浮游动物的潜在食草率，以及微型浮游动物作为中型浮游动物食物资源的重要性，以用于CCS食物网模型。 数据将包括丰度和碳生物量的一般分类组的微型浮游动物，并观察摄食的猎物在原生动物的食物泡和丰富的mixotrophic纤毛虫。微型浮游动物现存量的回顾性分析结果，以及我们在2000-2003年LTOP巡航期间的采样方案的结果，将在数据可用时进行处理、存档和分发给其他GLOBEC调查人员。本研究的结果将为CCS生态系统模拟提供重要的数据，也将在CCS和阿拉斯加湾（CGOA）沿海生态系统动态的比较有价值。

Microzooplankton, grazing organisms 200 gm in size, have a central role in marine pelagic food webs and are significant consumers of phytoplankton and a major food resource for larger zooplankton. The PI's will provide detailed information on microzooplankton stocks in the GLOBEC California Current System (CCS), in the context of physical, chemical, and biological data collected in the CCS Long Term Observation Program (LTOP). They will document temporal (seasonal and interannual) and spatial (along-shore and from coast to offshore) variability in distribution of microzooplanktonic protists in the CCS. The specific objectives of the research are: 1) Retrospective analysis of microzooplankton stocks in the CCS from samples collected along the Newport (NH) line off Oregon in September 1997 during a strong El Nino, and in September 1998 after relaxation of the El Nino event, 2) Seasonal/regional sampling of microzooplankton stocks in the CCS as part of the LTOP program through September 2003, 3) Analysis of spatial and interannual variability in microzoo-plankton stocks with respect to environmental parameters collected as part of the LTOP cruises, and 4) Estimating potential rates of herbivory by microzooplankton, and significance of microzooplankton as a food resource for mesozooplankton, for use in CCS food web models. Data will include abundance and carbon biomass of general taxonomic groups of microzooplankton, and observations of ingested prey in protist food vacuoles and of the abundance of mixotrophic ciliates. Results from the retrospective analysis of microzooplankton standing stocks, and from our sampling program during the LTOP cruises in 2000-2003 will be processed, archived and disseminated to other GLOBEC investigators as the data become available. The results of this study will provide important data for CCS ecosystem modelers, and will also be valuable in comparisons of CCS and Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) ecosystem dynamics.