Amphipods in the Surf Plankton

Abstract

The study of diurnal vertical movements of macro-plankton (Russell, 1925) showed that many organisms, including amphipods migrated to the surface of the sea at night. Since this work there have been several papers reporting vertical movements in intertidal waters. Elmhirst (1931), demonstrated that certain species of amphipod swam in the surf zone during the night and that they showed seasonal variations in numbers, with a spring maximum. Subsequently, Watkin (1939, 1941) distinguished between those in-faunal species performing nocturnal vertical migrations into the surf and tidal immigrants carried in from sub-littoral habitats by the tide.