Mesoscale distribution and community composition of zooplankton in the Mozambique Channel

Recent studies have shown the Mozambique Channel to exhibit high mesoscale variability, but how mesoscale features influence the zooplankton community in this region is not known. The biovolume, biomass, vertical distribution and community composition of mesozooplankton (>200 µm) associated with mesoscale eddies in the Mozambique Channel was investigated during four cruises in September 2007, December 2008, November 2009 and April/May 2010. Stations were categorized according to their location in cyclonic (cold-core) or anticyclonic (warm-core) eddies, frontal, divergence or shelf regions. Mean mesozooplankton biovolume in the upper 200 m was 0.33 ml m−3, with zooplankton largely concentrated in the upper 100 m during all four cruises (weighted mean depth=66.6 m). Sampling depth was the most important predictor of biovolume, which was greatest for net samples with a mid-depth of 0–40 m, but declined deeper in the water column. Biovolume at the shelf (0.37 ml m−3), divergence and cyclonic eddy stations (0.31 ml m−3) was significantly greater than at frontal and anticyclonic eddy stations (0.20 ml m−3). Mean biovolume was significantly higher during 2008 and 2010 compared to 2007 and 2009, and was also significantly higher for samples collected at night (and twilight) than during the day. The mesozooplankton community in 2007 was strongly dominated by small copepods (~70–80% abundance) followed by appendicularians (10%), ostracods (8%) and chaetognaths (7%). The most abundant copepods were the Paracalanids, Oncaea spp., Oithona spp. and Corycaeus spp. Multivariate analysis showed that the communities in 2007 and 2008 were most strongly structured by depth, but classification (cyclonic/anticyclonic) was also important in 2007 when mesoscale features were more strongly developed. Zooplankton assemblages showed a high degree of homogeneity, with differences between mesoscale features largely due to differing abundances of similar taxa. These observations suggest that mesoscale eddy and shelf interactions play a fundamental role in shaping the Mozambique Channel pelagic ecosystem through the concentration, enhanced growth and redistribution of zooplankton communities. Although frontal areas between eddies were poor in zooplankton biomass, the extensive inter-eddy divergence areas were as rich in biomass as the small cyclonic eddy core regions. These patterns are important for understanding the favorability of observed foraging areas for higher trophic levels.