Embleton, K. V. Queens University of Belfast, email@example.com
Cook, K. V. University of Wales, Swansea, firstname.lastname@example.org
Heaney, S. I. Queens University of Belfast, email@example.com
Mills, D. K. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, firstname.lastname@example.org
Rawlinson, M. B. W.S. Ocean Systems Ltd., email@example.com
FINE SCALE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE IRISH SEA USING A NEW UNDULATING CONTINUOUS PLANKTON RECORDER.
Biological production in the Irish Sea is strongly influenced by physical features such as thermoclines, tidal mixing, fronts and a gyre that forms over the summer stratified zone. A newly developed, instrumented, undulating plankton recorder was employed to study a transect across the Sea. The plankton recorder allowed horizontal and vertical resolution of temperature, salinity, turbidity, irradiance and fluorescence gradients over scales of tens of centimetres, together with the ability to continuously collect zooplankton in a mesh based sampling mechanism and take discrete whole water samples for phytoplankton, bacterial and chemical analysis. The higher-resolution electronic data allowed the observation of large discontinuities of phytoplankton distribution associated with physical structures and nutrient inputs. These discontinuities occurred at scales that had been missed in previous studies employing CTD profiles. Analysis of phytoplankton community structure from whole water samples relates to the secondary zooplankton community recorded by the plankton sampling mechanism. Information obtained by the plankton sampler allows insights into how the physical and chemical structure of the Irish Sea influences the distribution of fish larvae and the commercially important Nephrops fishery.
Day: Thursday, Feb. 4
Time: 08:30 - 08:45am
Location: Hilton of Santa Fe