Assemblages of pelagic thaliaceans in oceanographic features at the tropical-temperate transition zone of a western boundary current

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Pitt, Kylie A
Lawley, Jonathan W
Hinchliffe, Charles
Matis, Paloma A
Olguin-Jacobson, Carolina
Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur
Lindholm, Pauline
Arnold, Jade
Suthers, Iain M
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2023
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

Mesoscale oceanographic features influence the composition of zooplankton. Cyclonic eddies can promote upwelling and production of gelatinous zooplankton, which play critical roles in ocean biogeochemical cycling. We examined variation in assemblages of thaliaceans (salps, doliolids and pyrosomes) among mesoscale oceanographic features at the tropical-temperate boundary of the East Australian Current (EAC) in Spring 2019 and Autumn 2021. The influence of cyclonic eddies was examined in a large offshore cyclonic eddy in 2019 and a newly formed frontal eddy in 2021. Pyrosomes were most abundant in the offshore EAC jet, and salps and doliolids were most abundant in coastal features, including within eddies that were transported offshore. In 2019, Salpa fusiformis increased 4-fold over 8 days in the large cyclonic eddy, and in 2021, doliolids increased > 50-fold over 2 weeks in a chlorophyll-rich coastal eddy while abundances of other thaliaceans remained unchanged or decreased. Correlations between abundances of thaliaceans and chlorophyll-a concentrations across the 102 samples collected during both voyages revealed that doliolids occupy a wider range of chlorophyll-a concentrations than salps. Our observations indicate that doliolids thrive in productive shelf environments, salps occur in less productive shelf waters and pyrosomes are most abundant in oligotrophic waters of the south Coral Sea.

Journal Title

Journal of Plankton Research

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

45

Issue

4

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Ecology

Oceanography

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Physical Sciences

Marine & Freshwater Biology

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Pitt, KA; Lawley, JW; Hinchliffe, C; Matis, PA; Olguin-Jacobson, C; Arafeh-Dalmau, N; Lindholm, P; Arnold, J; Suthers, IM, Assemblages of pelagic thaliaceans in oceanographic features at the tropical-temperate transition zone of a western boundary current, Journal of Plankton Research, 2023, 45 (4), pp. 677-692

Collections