GLOBEC 2000: Responses of the Neocalanus spp. - Microplankton Community to Physical Forcing in the Coastal Gulf of Alaska

研究人员将研究微型浮游生物群落的结构过程，并将它们与阿拉斯加海湾沿岸主要的颗粒食草桡足类动物Neocalanus spp.的种群联系起来。总的来说，三种新卡藻对阿拉克萨沿海湾春季和夏季浮游动物生物量的贡献很大。新海螺能够同时食用浮游植物和微型浮游动物，尽管决定这种饮食分配的因素还没有得到很好的理解。此外，这些桡足类动物已被证明可以改变个体体型、种群生物量和生命周期时间，以响应海洋条件的变化。最后，新卡蓝藻的大小和丰富程度使它们成为粉红鲑鱼和其他沿海鱼类的重要潜在猎物。因此，微浮游生物-新藻类食物网是将环境变化转化为更高营养水平响应的潜在位点。需要进行的具体测量包括：微型浮游生物的丰度和组成，以微型浮游动物为食的比率，以及以微型浮游动物和浮游植物为食的新藻类的比率。

The investigators will examine processes structuring microplankton communities and linking them with populations of Neocalanus spp., the dominant particle-grazing copepods in the coastal Gulf of Alaska. Collectively, three species of Neocalanus contribute substantially to total spring and summer mesozooplankton biomass in the coastal Gulf of Alaksa. Neocalanus are capable of consuming both phytoplankton and microzooplankton, though factors dictating this diet partitioning are not well understood. Further, these copepods have been shown to alter individual body size, population biomass, and life cycle timing in response to variations in ocean conditions. Finally, the size and abundance of Neocalanus make them an important potential prey for pink salmon fry and other coastal fish species. Thus, the microplankton - Neocalanus food web is a potential locus for the translation of environmental variation into higher trophic level responses. Specific measurements to be made include: microplankton abundance and composition, rates of microzooplankton herbivory, and rates of Neocalanus spp. grazing on microzooplankton and phytoplankton.