Latitudinal variation in zooplankton over the Emperor Seamounts (34°–44° N, 170°–171° E) during the summer of 2019

Abstract

The horizontal and vertical distributions of zooplankton over the Emperor Seamounts (Koko, Jingu, Nintoku, and Suiko guyots) were analyzed. The zooplankton was represented by four genera of amphipods, seven genera of pteropods, 39 genera of copepods, and larvae of benthic invertebrates and fish. The abundance and biomass of zooplankton increased towards higher latitudes along the series Koko < Jingu < Nintoku < Suiko guyots. The highest index of diversity was recorded over the Koko and Jingu guyots; the highest species richness occurred over the Jingu and Nintoku guyots. Small-sized copepods, appendicularians, chaetognaths, euphausiids, and fish eggs and larvae concentrated in the epipelagic; large copepods and ostracods were concentrated in the mesopelagic. We identified three types of zooplankton assemblages: a Subtropical assemblage between 34°–35°N characterized by tropical/subtropical forms; a Transition assemblage characterized by subtropical, subarctic, and widespread species between 38°–41°N; and a Subarctic assemblage characterized by subarctic and widespread species between 43°–44°N. The spatial distribution of zooplankton was a function of environmental variables such as surface salinity, temperature at 200 m, and, to a certain extent, by surface Chl-a concentrations.