Latitude, distance offshore and local environmental features as modulators of zooplankton assemblages across the NE Atlantic Shelves Province

Fanjul, A, Iriarte, A, Villate, F, Uriarte, I, Artiach, M, Atkinson, A and Cook, K 2019 Latitude, distance offshore and local environmental features as modulators of zooplankton assemblages across the NE Atlantic Shelves Province. Journal of Plankton Research, 41 (3). 293-308. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbz015

Text Fanjul et al_J. Plankton Res. (2019).pdf - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (11MB)

Abstract/Summary

Contributionof latitude,distanceoffshoreandenvironmentalfactorstovariationsinzooplanktonassemblagesacross theNortheastAtlanticShelvesProvince,fromtheBayof Biscay[Bilbao35(B35)andUrdaibai35(U35)]totheEnglish Channel (Plymouth L4; L4) and the North Sea (Stonehaven; SH), were assessed mainly by redundancy analysis. For coarsezooplanktongroupslatitudeexplainedthemainbetween-sitedifferences,andmeroplanktoncontributedmore than holoplankton. Latitudinal differences were best indicated by contrasting abundances of cirripede larvae and doliolids(mostabundantatthelowestlatitudesites)andbryozoanandpolychaetelarvae(mostabundantatthehighest latitude site). Doliolids were best indicators of temperature-mediated latitudinal differences. The interaction between latitude and distance offshore or salinity and phytoplankton biomass explained smaller percentages of the variability. The main differences in copepod and cladoceran genera reflected the oceanic influence, with highest presence of Corycaeus and Oncaea at L4, likely related to the higher influence of off-shelf water intrusions, and neritic Acartia dominating at SH, U35 and B35. Podon and Evadne, which decreased from south to north, reflected latitude-related differencesdrivenmoreby salinitythan bytemperature.Instances whereasingle species(e.g.Acartiaclausi)dominated showed common relationships with temperature, consistent with a common thermal niche. Differences in co-generic species dominance between sites depicted the latitudinal gradient.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	zooplankton community; spatial variations; latitude; shelf waters; North Atlantic
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > National Capability categories > Western Channel Observatory Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Ecology and Biodiversity
Depositing User:	S Hawkins
Date made live:	12 Feb 2020 11:15
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2020 10:02
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/8887

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