Using RAFOS floats to simulate overwinter transport of Calanus finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea
Søiland, H.; Huse, G. (2012). Using RAFOS floats to simulate overwinter transport of Calanus finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea. Mar. Biol. Res. Spec. Issue 8(5-6): 502-507. dx.doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2011.639780
In: Marine Biology Research. Taylor & Francis: Oslo; Basingstoke. ISSN 1745-1000; e-ISSN 1745-1019, more
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| Keywords |
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| Author keywords |
RAFOS floats; Overwinter drift |
| Authors | | Top |
- Søiland, H.
- Huse, G., more
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| Abstract |
The Norwegian Sea is one of the core areas of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus. We use 33 drift trajectories of RAFOS floats over 6 months to describe and discuss overwinter transportation of C. finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea. The mean drift speed of the floats was 5.7 cms-1, which resulted in a mean trajectory length of 881 km. The corresponding displacement speed and displacement was 2.1 cms-1 and 326 km. Our results show that most of the floats remain within the Norwegian basin. The data set clearly indicates that the winter exchange between the southeast and northwest in the Norwegian Basin is very limited and mainly restricted to a narrow band along the ridge delimiting the Norwegian Basin in the north. The fate of an overwintering C. finmarchicus is strongly dependent on where it sinks into the deep water to overwinter. If it takes place over the slope (bottom depth < 1700 m) in the south, the chance is high that it will be expelled into the North Atlantic. From a position close by, but just in slightly deeper water, may result in a fast track far into the Lofoten Basin. |
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