Fine scale depth regulation of invertebrate larvae around coastal fronts

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Weidberg, Nicolas, Goschen, Wayne, Jackson, Jennifer M., Pattrick, Paula, McQuaid, Christopher D., Porri, Francesca
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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_version_ 1866914645928837120
author Weidberg, Nicolas
Goschen, Wayne
Jackson, Jennifer M.
Pattrick, Paula
McQuaid, Christopher D.
Porri, Francesca
author_facet Weidberg, Nicolas
Goschen, Wayne
Jackson, Jennifer M.
Pattrick, Paula
McQuaid, Christopher D.
Porri, Francesca
contents Vertical migrations of zooplankters have been widely described, but their active movements through shallow, highly dynamic water columns within the inner shelf may be more complex and difficult to characterize. In this study, invertebrate larvae, currents, and hydrographic variables were sampled at different depths during and after the presence of fronts on three different cruises off the southern coast of South Africa. Internal wave dynamics were observed in the hydrographic data set but also through satellite imagery, although strong surface convergent currents were absent and thermal stratification was weak. During the first two cruises, fronts were more conspicuous and they preceded strong onshore currents at depth which developed with the rising tide. Vertical distributions of larvae changed accordingly, with higher abundances at these deep layers once the front disappeared. The third cruise was carried out during slack tides, the front was not conspicuous, deep strong onshore currents did not occur afterward and larval distributions did not change consistently through time. Overall, the vertical distributions of many larval taxa matched the vertical profiles of shoreward currents and multivariate analyses revealed that these flows structured the larval community, which was neither influenced by temperature nor chlorophyll. Thus, the ability to regulate active vertical positioning may enhance shoreward advection and determine nearshore larval distributions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_10303
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fine scale depth regulation of invertebrate larvae around coastal fronts
Weidberg, Nicolas
Goschen, Wayne
Jackson, Jennifer M.
Pattrick, Paula
McQuaid, Christopher D.
Porri, Francesca
Quantitative Methods
Vertical migrations of zooplankters have been widely described, but their active movements through shallow, highly dynamic water columns within the inner shelf may be more complex and difficult to characterize. In this study, invertebrate larvae, currents, and hydrographic variables were sampled at different depths during and after the presence of fronts on three different cruises off the southern coast of South Africa. Internal wave dynamics were observed in the hydrographic data set but also through satellite imagery, although strong surface convergent currents were absent and thermal stratification was weak. During the first two cruises, fronts were more conspicuous and they preceded strong onshore currents at depth which developed with the rising tide. Vertical distributions of larvae changed accordingly, with higher abundances at these deep layers once the front disappeared. The third cruise was carried out during slack tides, the front was not conspicuous, deep strong onshore currents did not occur afterward and larval distributions did not change consistently through time. Overall, the vertical distributions of many larval taxa matched the vertical profiles of shoreward currents and multivariate analyses revealed that these flows structured the larval community, which was neither influenced by temperature nor chlorophyll. Thus, the ability to regulate active vertical positioning may enhance shoreward advection and determine nearshore larval distributions.
title Fine scale depth regulation of invertebrate larvae around coastal fronts
topic Quantitative Methods
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.10303