Swadling, K.M., J.A.E. Gibson, D.A. Ritz, P.D. Nichols & D.E. Hughes. (1997). Grazing of phytoplankton by copepods in eastern Antarctic coastal waters. Marine Biology, Berlin 128(1):39-48.

115971

Swadling, K.M., J.A.E. Gibson, D.A. Ritz, P.D. Nichols & D.E. Hughes

1997

128(1):39-48.

Publication

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Chlorophyll a, primary productivity and grazing by copepods on phytoplankton were measured in the upper water column during the summer of 1994/ 1995 at a coastal site near Davis Station, East Antarctica. Chlorophyll a was at a maximum in mid-December, then dropped markedly as the coastal fast ice melted and broke-out. Phytoplankton biomass increased again from mid- to late-February. Copepods accounted for at least 65% of zooplankton biomass in the water column before sea ice break-out, whereas larval polychaetes and ctenophores dominated after ice break-out. Oncaea curvata was the numerically dominant species throughout the study. The highest grazing rate (8.7 mg C m )3 d)1 ) was recorded on 21 December when O. curvata accounted for 64% of the total. Grazing had decreased markedly by 28 December (0.9 mg C m )3 d)1 ); again O. curvata accounted for over 50% of the total ingested. Copepod grazing increased after ice break-out until the last experiment on 20 February ('5 mg C m )3 d)1 ). The main species responsible for grazing during this period were O. curvata, Oithona similis, Calanoides acutus and unidentified copepod nauplii. It was estimated that copepods removed between 1 and 5% of primary productivity.

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