Record Details
Seasonal variability of zooplankton off the California coast : box model approach
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Seasonal variability of zooplankton off the California coast : box model approach |
| Names |
Barnard, Andrew Heath
(creator) Chelton, Dudley B. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 1993-08-19 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 1994 |
| Abstract | In an effort to elucidate the mechanism responsible for large-scale zooplankton variability in the California Current, zooplankton biomass and hydrographic data from the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation data set and wind data from Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center model analyses have been used to construct a box model biomass budget. The box model method was implemented to examine the effects of advection on determining the observed seasonal variability of zooplankton biomass in the California Current system. The box model utilizes the monthly sampled data for the years 1950-1982 to construct seasonal cycles of zooplankton biomass and current velocity from which the advective component of seasonal biomass variability can be estimated. Current velocities in the box model included both the geostrophic and Ekman transport components in the upper surface layer. The results of the model indicate that, while large-scale advection of zooplankton in the California Current is strong, it clearly is not the sole controlling mechanism of the observed seasonal variability in zooplankton biomass. It is concluded that meso-scale features and local zooplankton growth/loss processes, which cannot be resolved by the CalCOFI data set, are more important in determining the seasonal cycles of zooplankton biomass in the California Current system than has previously been recognized. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Zooplankton -- California -- Pacific Coast |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/23418 |
