Zooplankton Biomass Related to Hydrography Along the Drift Track of Arlis II in the Arctic Basin and the East Greenland Current

Abstract

Zooplankton standing crop was estimated in the Arctic Basin north of Greenland and in the East Greenland Current from tows made from drifting ice island Arlis II. Number 20 mesh closing net hauls indicated that most of the zooplankton biomass was concentrated in the top 500 m in both winter and summer. The bulk of the zooplankton standing crop was copepods which contributed 86 and 77% of the biomass in the Arlis II samples from the Arctic Basin and East Greenland Current, respectively. Calanus was the most important genus, making up one-half the weight of the zooplankton. Zooplankton biomass under a square meter of sea in the top 500 m averaged 0.29 g dry weight in the Arctic Basin north of Greenland and increased to 4.52 g in the upper 500 m of the East Greenland Current. It is postulated that Arlis II was carried south near the eastern edge of the East Greenland Current and that most of the plankton occurring in the rich samples from the East Greenland current was contributed by the Greenland Sea through vigorous mixing.