Diel variability in vertical distribution of mesozooplankton populations in a high chlorophyll plume of the Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador

Abstract

Regions of high phytoplankton (primary producers) and zooplankton (secondary producers) growth are essential in supporting growth of juvenile fish and the entire marine food web. The eastern equatorial Pacific in the vicinity of the Galapagos Archipelago supports a tongue of increased productivity up to 7.7 times greater then the surrounding subtropical gyres. This study examined the vertical distribution of secondary producers, specifically mesozooplankton (>300 µm), which both represent and support the unusual regional biota.