Ekman Transport and Zooplankton Concentration in the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Annual concentrations of zooplankton off California varied directly, and concentrations in the western Bering Sea varied indirectly with calculated southerly components of Ekman transport in the previous year at 50°N,140°W. This point is in the area in which surface subarctic water and the deeper currents divide north and south. The underlying geostrophic flow requires approximately 1 year to reach each downstream sampling area. Summer concentrations of zooplankton at Ocean Station P, 50°N,145°W, varied with southerly and westerly components at 50°N,160°W during the previous winter. Fifty to sixty per cent of the variance of the annual concentration in zooplankton appears to be due to advection of surface water.