Record
Links
Author
Decima, M. ; Landry, M.R. ; Stukel, M.R. ; Lopez-Lopez, L. ; Krause, J.W.
Title
Mesozooplankton biomass and grazing in the Costa Rica Dome: amplifying variability through the plankton food web
Type
$loc['typeJournal Article']
Year
2016
Publication
Journal of Plankton Research
Abbreviated Journal
J Plankton Res
Volume
38
Issue
2
Pages
317-330
Keywords
Omz ; efficiency ; food chain ; secondary production ; trophic transfer
Abstract
We investigated standing stocks and grazing rates of mesozooplankton assemblages in the Costa Rica Dome (CRD), an open-ocean upwelling ecosystem in the eastern tropical Pacific. While phytoplankton biomass in the CRD is dominated by picophytoplankton (<2-microm cells) with especially high concentrations of Synechococcus spp., we found high mesozooplankton biomass ( approximately 5 g dry weight m-2) and grazing impact (12-50% integrated water column chlorophyll a), indicative of efficient food web transfer from primary producers to higher levels. In contrast to the relative uniformity in water-column chlorophyll a and mesozooplankton biomass, variability in herbivory was substantial, with lower rates in the central dome region and higher rates in areas offset from the dome center. While grazing rates were unrelated to total phytoplankton, correlations with cyanobacteria (negative) and biogenic SiO2 production (positive) suggest that partitioning of primary production among phytoplankton sizes contributes to the variability observed in mesozooplankton metrics. We propose that advection of upwelled waters away from the dome center is accompanied by changes in mesozooplankton composition and grazing rates, reflecting small changes within the primary producers. Small changes within the phytoplankton community resulting in large changes in the mesozooplankton suggest that the variability in lower trophic level dynamics was effectively amplified through the food web.
Address
Dauphin Island Sea Lab , 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528 , USA
Corporate Author
Thesis
Publisher
Place of Publication
Editor
Language
English
Summary Language
Original Title
Series Editor
Series Title
Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume
Series Issue
Edition
ISSN
0142-7873
ISBN
Medium
Area
Expedition
Conference
Funding
PMID:27275033; PMCID:PMC4889985
Approved
$loc['no']
Call Number
COAPS @ mfield @
Serial
75
Permanent link to this record