Except for station A50, where samples were taken from the bottom to the surface, vertical tows were taken in two oceanography layers (50-0 m, and from the bottom (or 300 m for stations A300 and A900), to 50 m). Samples were preserved with buffered formaldehyde (2.5% final concentration) until laboratory analysis. Whole satnples were analyzed under the Olympus stereomicroscope. Taxonomic determination was performed at the lowest possible taxonomic level. Mesozooplankton abundance was expressed as ind.m"^