Oceanographic profile Chlorophyll, zooplankton biomass and other measurements collected using net in the SE ATLANTIC in 1969 (NCEI Accession 0000930)

Hutchings, L. 1988. Horozontal distribution of mesozooplankton in the Southern Benguela Current, 1969-1974. Investigational Report of the Sea Fisheries Research Institute 131: 1-70.

Spatial Coverage: West Coast of South Africa Temporal Coverage: December 1969 Language: Translated to English

Abstract Excerpt:

Mesozooplankton samples were collected with WP-2 nets over different time and space scales between 1969 and 1974 in the active upwelling zone on the west coast of South Africa. Fluctuations in biomass and species composition are related to hydrographic features, wind patterns and food availability. Samples collected at three-monthly intervals between Cape Columbine (~33 degrees S) and Cape Point (34 degrees 30 minutes S) indicated non-uniform alongshore distribution of plankton in all seasons, with higher levels during the summer and autumn. The annual cycle of mesozooplankton biomass in the region is described, and mechanisms for the replenishment of zooplankton in the nearshore zone after strong upwelling events are proposed. Inshore and near-bottom southward-flowing currents are thought to play a greater role in returning zooplankton to the base of the upwelling tongue than cross-shelf flow or replacement from the south. The standing stock of mesozooplankton averaged about 1 g C per m2 off the Cape Peninsula.