Data Name (This will be the displayed title in Catalog)
Zooplankton Indices
Indicator Name (as exists in ecodata)
New Indicator
Family (Which group is this indicator associated with?)
[ ] Oceanographic
[ ] Habitat
[X] Lower trophic levels
[ ] Megafauna
[ ] Social
[ ] Economic
Data Description
Model-based abundance indices for zooplankton groups sampled by NEFSC surveys
Introduction to Indicator (Please explain your indicator)
Zooplankton are primary consumers in marine ecosystems that transfer energy from phytoplankton to fish, marine mammals, and birds. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has conducted zooplankton surveys since the 1970s. Spatially explicit indices of abundance for several zooplankton groups were estimated using spatio-temporal modeling.
The groups include:
Copepods
Calanus finmarchicus, = Large copeopds SOE (used in small-large index)
Small copeopods SOE (used in small-large index): Centropages typicus, Pseudocalanus spp., Temora longicornis, Centropages hamatus
Euphausiids
Zooplankton volume
Key Results and Visualization
Large and small copepod groups are mainly fluctuating without trend in both spring and fall across the EPUs. However, a significant decrease in small copeopods was apparent in the MAB during fall. Similarly, zooplankton volume is fluctuating without long term trends over time.
Euphausiids, in contrast, show increasing trends over time in all regions during fall, and in the MAB during spring.
ADD ANY CHANGED RESULTS WHEN SHORT TERM TREND PLOTS ARE IMPLEMENTED
Implications
Fluctuations in zooplankton community composition can affect both the consumption of phytoplanlton vs the export of energy to the benthos, as well as the availability of prey for zooplankton feeding forage fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.
The relative dominance of large and small copepods in Northeast US ecosystems has been liked to changes in fish productivity [@perretti_regime_2017; @Morse2017].
Spatial Scale
by EPU and full shelf
Temporal Scale
Spring (January-June), Fall (July-December)
Synthesis Theme
[X] Multiple System Drivers
[ ] Regime Shifts
[ ] Ecosystem Reorganization
Define Variables
Naming key
Calanus finmarchicus (calfin_100m3) = “calfin” ,
Large copepods (calfin_100m3, mlucens_100m3, calminor_100m3, euc_100m3, calspp_100m3) = “lgcopeALL”,
Small copepods (all) (ctyp_100m3, pseudo_100m3, tlong_100m3, cham_100m3, para_100m3, acarspp_100m3, clauso, acarlong_100m3, fur_100m3, ost_100m3, temspp_100m3, tort_100m3, paraspp_100m3) = “smallcopeALL” and
Small copepods (SOE) (ctyp_100m3, pseudo_100m3, tlong_100m3, cham_100m3) = “smallcopeSOE”.
Variables
TO BE ADDED ONCE DATA IN ECODATA, NOT ALL DATASETS COULD BE READ INTO FORM
Primary Contact
Sarah.Gaichas@noaa.gov
Secondary Contact
No response
Data Name (This will be the displayed title in Catalog)
Zooplankton Indices
Indicator Name (as exists in ecodata)
New Indicator
Family (Which group is this indicator associated with?)
Data Description
Model-based abundance indices for zooplankton groups sampled by NEFSC surveys
Introduction to Indicator (Please explain your indicator)
Zooplankton are primary consumers in marine ecosystems that transfer energy from phytoplankton to fish, marine mammals, and birds. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has conducted zooplankton surveys since the 1970s. Spatially explicit indices of abundance for several zooplankton groups were estimated using spatio-temporal modeling.
The groups include:
Copepods
Calanus finmarchicus, = Large copeopds SOE (used in small-large index)
Large copepods ALL: Calanus finmarchicus, Metridia lucens, Calanus minor, Eucalanus spp., Calanus spp.
Small copepods ALL: Centropages typicus, Pseudocalanus spp., Temora longicornis, Centropages hamatus, Paracalanus parvus, Acartia spp., Clausocalanus arcuicornis, Acartia longiremis, Clausocalanus furcatus, Temora stylifera, Temora spp., Tortanus discaudatus, Paracalanus spp.
Small copeopods SOE (used in small-large index): Centropages typicus, Pseudocalanus spp., Temora longicornis, Centropages hamatus
Euphausiids
Zooplankton volume
Key Results and Visualization
Large and small copepod groups are mainly fluctuating without trend in both spring and fall across the EPUs. However, a significant decrease in small copeopods was apparent in the MAB during fall. Similarly, zooplankton volume is fluctuating without long term trends over time.
Euphausiids, in contrast, show increasing trends over time in all regions during fall, and in the MAB during spring.
ADD ANY CHANGED RESULTS WHEN SHORT TERM TREND PLOTS ARE IMPLEMENTED
Implications
Fluctuations in zooplankton community composition can affect both the consumption of phytoplanlton vs the export of energy to the benthos, as well as the availability of prey for zooplankton feeding forage fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.
The relative dominance of large and small copepods in Northeast US ecosystems has been liked to changes in fish productivity [@perretti_regime_2017; @Morse2017].
Spatial Scale
by EPU and full shelf
Temporal Scale
Spring (January-June), Fall (July-December)
Synthesis Theme
Define Variables
Naming key
Variables TO BE ADDED ONCE DATA IN ECODATA, NOT ALL DATASETS COULD BE READ INTO FORM
Indicator Category
If other, please specify indicator category
No response
Data Contributors
Sarah Gaichas and Harvey Walsh
Point(s) of Contact
Sarah Gaichas, Sarah.Gaichas@noaa.gov
Affiliation
NEFSC
Public Availability
Source data are NOT publicly available.
Accessibility and Constraints
Request from Harvey Walsh, harvey.walsh@noaa.gov