Trophic Dynamics of Zooplankton and Myctophid Fish in the Central Pacific Ocean

Erin Rodgers

Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Zooplankton, Myctophids, Trophic Dynamics, Carbon Cycle

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

New studies have been carried out concerning the importance of the ocean as a carbon dioxide sink. Carbon dioxide sinks are created by the primary production of phytoplankton and respiration of zooplankton in consuming the phytoplankton. In a secondary step of the process of sink creation, carbon is being sequestered in the deep benthic layers of the ocean by myctophid fish. These fish range throughout the Atlantic and Pacific and are instrumental in this sequestering process as they vertically migrate between surface and 300m depth in feeding upon the movements of zooplankton which migrate to the surface at night as well. Such migrations create a unique food web dynamic in which limiting control comes from the top as well as the bottom of the food chain. Data were collected on a research vessel in the Central Pacific Ocean between the latitudes of 0� and 20oN. Zooplankton and myctophid populations were sampled at different times of day at 35 stations across these latitudes. The collected data show population increases in the inter-tropical convergence zone and decreases in diversity towards land. These trends represent a dynamic controlled by both bottom-up and top down mechanisms. Food web modeling has posed many problems that are yet unresolved, especially with fundamentally different organisms. Areas of potentially greater CO2 sequestration are also identified across latitude based on web dynamics. Oceanic carbon dioxide sinks have a powerful impact by greatly decreasing anthropogenic carbon levels in the global atmosphere which regulate climate cycles and global warming trends.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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