THE DIURNAL MIGRATION OF COPEPODS IN ST. GEORGES HARBOR, BERMUDA

Abstract

Calanopia americana and Acartia spinata were found in St. Georges Harbor in large numbers near the surface and in the deeper strata at night and migrated to the bottom at sunrise, the former sp. apparently burrowing into the mud. As in the Gulf of Maine, the diurnal migration appears to be correlated primarily with changes in light intensity during the day, although it may be partly under the control of other environmental factors as well. The fact that the copepods descend to the bottom is consistent with the great intensity of the submarine irradiation in the Bermuda region.