6.3.1 Zooplankton abundance
Two important representatives of zooplankton occur in
the top 7 meters of the water column (PICES); Euphausiacea,
or krill (10 – 20 mm; macrozooplankton), and Copepods
(1 - 2 mm; mesozooplankton). Abundances of these
groups vary considerably over the years (Figure 6.4)
The experimental site Sta. ALOHA at 22.45°N, 158°W is
currently the best available predictor of the ecological
environment at the location of the Array placement. In recent
years, an increase in mesozooplankton biomass has
been reported there (Sheridan & Landry, 2004). A continuation
of this trend would imply current biomass amounts
of 1.7 g(dry)/m² for night tows and 1.15 g(dry)/m² for daytime
tows (Figure 6.5).