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Distribution of meroplankton communities in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

2007; Inter-Research; Volume: 338; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps338119

1616-1599

Elsa Vázquez, Julia Ameneiro, S. Putzeys, C. Gordo, Pablo Sangrà,

Marine and fisheries research

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 338:119-129 (2007) - doi:10.3354/meps338119 Distribution of meroplankton communities in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica E. Vázquez1,*, J. Ameneiro1, S. Putzeys2, C. Gordo3, P. Sangrà3 1Dpt. Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36200 Vigo, Spain 2Dpt. Biología and 3Dpt. Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain *Email: eotero@uvigo.es ABSTRACT: The spatial distribution of meroplankton in Bransfield Strait, Antarctica, and its relationships with hydrographical conditions are described. Biological sampling was carried out with BIONESS sampling gear at 19 stations and at 5 depths between 10 and 300 m. The main hydrographic features were a shallow hydrographic front in the southern part of the strait that separates Transitional Zonal Water with Bellingshausen influence (TBW) from Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell influence (TWW) and a slope front, the so-called Bransfield front, along the South Shetland Islands Slope (SSI). A northeastward baroclinic jet known as the Bransfield Current (BC) originates from this slope front. The meroplankton community was very diverse and included 12 types of larvae, dominated by polychaete and echinoderm larvae. The meroplankton were more abundant closer to the SSI in the BC and decreased in number towards the Antarctic Peninsula. Polychaete larvae were found close to both shores but mainly close to the SSI in TBW; they were very sparse in the central basin, appeared again below 100 m depth in TWW, and increased in abundance in upper layers at stations between the hydrographic front and the Antarctic Peninsula, in TWW. By contrast, echinoderm larvae mainly occupied the central basin and were always associated with the upper 100 m in TBW, just above the polychaete larvae; they were almost absent from TWW. In summary, meroplanktonic larval exhibit a strong dependence on water masses, depth, and fronts. KEY WORDS: Meroplankton · Bransfield Strait · Antarctica · Invertebrate larvae · Distribution · Hydrography Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 338. Online publication date: May 24, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.