Studies on the Chemical Composition of the Major Zooplankton Groups in the Sargasso Sea Off Bermuda1

Abstract

A one year study was made of the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbohydrate content of the major zooplankton groups from the surface to 500 m in the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda. Carbon content ranged from the yearly average of 41.6% of the dry weight of copepods to as low as 7.2% in the siphonophores. Nitrogen varied from approximately 9–11% of the dry weight of organisms with a low wet to dry weight ratio; 1–4% in the watery forms; and 6–8% in intermediate groups such as the chaetognaths. Average yearly phosphorus levels ranged from 1.48% of the dry weight in the euphausids‐mysids to 0.14% in siphonophores. Carbohydrate content of all groups was low, averaging less than 1% of the dry weight.

Benthopelagic biomass distribution and oxygen consumption in a deep‐sea benthic boundary layer dominated by gelatinous organisms

“…The nongelatinous category living near bottom showed CHN compositions (C, 3-O--4.6% of wet wt; N, 0.4-0.8%; and H, 0.4-0.8%) falling at the low end of previously reported values for similar taxa living far from the bottom. Childress and Nygaard (1974) found compositions of bathypelagic crustaceans of 1.6-1 5.4% of wet weight for C, 0.4-2-O% for N, and 0.3-2.6% for H. By comparison, surface to midwater crustaceans have values of C of 2.8-20.0%, N 0.8-2.9%, and H 0.5-3.4% (Beers 1966;Omori 1969;Childress and Nygaard 1974). The low CHN values found in the near-bottom organisms reflect decreased protein and lipid and increased water content (Childress and Nygaard 1974), consistent with the reported decrease in protein and increase in water contents with depth down to at least 1,200 m (Childress and Nygaard 1974;Morris and Hopkins 198 3).…”

“…is not robustly built. Cnidarians and ctenophores have C contents ranging from 0.058 to 0.534% ofwet weight and N contents ranging from 0.005 to 0.125% of wet weight (Curl 1962;Beers 1966;Reeve and Baker 1975;Kremer 1975). Both the C (0.08 1% of wet wt) and N contents (0.0 16% of wet wt) of Scotoanassa sp.…”

Zur chemischen Zusammensetzung der CtenophorePleurobrachia pileus in der Kieler Bucht

“…1,18 0,30 3,9 Kremer et al (1986) Mnemiopsis mccradyi 1,75 0,50 3,5 Kremer et al (1975) Mnemiopsis mccradyi 1,43-1,85 Kremer (1982) Mnemiopsis mccradyi 1,90 Reeve (1980) Mnemiopsis leidyi 1,70 0,50 3,4 Kremer (1975) Bolinopsis infundibulum (Beers, 1966). Die von mir gefundenen Werte hegen somit ffir die Proteine und Lipide also durchaus im Rahmen der Beobachtungen anderer Untersuchungen, wobei allerdings die Kohlenhydratwerte deuthch hSher waren.…”

“…Beers, 1966;Omori, I969;Ikeda, 1974;Hirota, 1981;Raymont, 1983). Dagegen liegt ffir pelagische Coelenteraten nur ein vergleichsweise geringes Datenmaterial vor.…”

“…Auch fiber jahreszeitliche Ver~n-derungen gibt es nut wenig Anhaltspunkte. So zeigt die Arbeit von Beers (1966), dab im Jahreslauf der Kohlenstoffgehalt yon Hydromedusen und Siphonophoren zwischen 3 und 16 % vom Trockengewicht schwankt. Die genannten Unterschiede sind sicherlich zum Teil durch Verschiebungen im Artenspektrum der untersuchten Gruppen zu erkl~i-ten, doch dfirften Ver~nderungen innerhalb einer Art ebenfalls daftir verantwortlich sein.…”