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. 2022 Nov 7;12(1):18908.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-23522-0.

The diel vertical distribution and carbon biomass of the zooplankton community in the Caroline Seamount area of the western tropical Pacific Ocean

Zhencheng Tao  1   2   3   4 , Haochen Xian  4 , Zhendong Luan  5 , Feng Nan  6 , Yanqing Wang  7 , Song Sun  8   9   10   11
Affiliations

The diel vertical distribution and carbon biomass of the zooplankton community in the Caroline Seamount area of the western tropical Pacific Ocean

Zhencheng Tao et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Zooplankton can affect and regulate the biological carbon pump in the biogeochemical cycles of marine ecosystems through diel vertical migration (DVM) behaviour. The diel vertical distribution and migration of a zooplankton community were studied at a continuous survey station in the Caroline Seamount area of the western tropical Pacific Ocean. Using a MultiNet sampling system, 346 zooplankton species/taxa were collected and identified. The vertical distribution patterns of abundance and composition of the zooplankton community differed between daytime and nighttime. The highest biodiversity index occurred in the 100-200-m ocean depth layer, but some zooplankton species remained in the deep-water layer below 300 m. The DVM patterns of the various dominant species differed, even when the species belonged to the same order or family. Dissolved oxygen and seawater temperature were the main environmental factors affecting the diel vertical distribution of the zooplankton community. The oxygen minimum zone was identified as performing the dual role of "ecological barrier" and "refuge" for zooplankton. The active carbon flux mediated by the zooplankton DVM in the Caroline Seamount area was 14.5 mg C/(m2·d). Our findings suggest that zooplankton DVM can affect and mediate the biological carbon pump in the Caroline Seamount area.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The vertical distribution of the environmental factors in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The diel vertical variations of zooplankton species/taxa (a) and abundances (b) in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019. The data label in bold black font indicates the highest value.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The diel vertical variations of zooplankton abundance and diversity (H') in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Diel vertical distribution in numerical abundance (ind/m3) of the dominant zooplankton species in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The WMDs of the dominant zooplankton species and the differences between daytime (Day) and nighttime (Night) in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The diel vertical variations of zooplankton carbon biomass in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 7
Figure 7
PCA scatter diagrams of zooplankton community parameters and environmental factors (ST, seawater temperature; SS, seawater salinity; CHL, chlorophyll fluorescence; DO, dissolved oxygen) of different sampling layers in the Caroline Seamount area on June 2 to 3, 2019.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Sampling station B3 in the Caroline Seamount of the western tropical Pacific Ocean on June 2 to 3, 2019.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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