Zooplankton of South

Julie Keister University of Who are our zooplankton? Incredibly diverse species assemblages!

Copepods (>30 spp.): Euphausiids: 4 species Decapods: 10+ species

Others: Amphipods: 4+ species Chaetognaths, Bivalves, Gastropods, Echinoderms, Jellyfish: 12+ species Larvaceans, Polychaetes, Ostracods, Barnacles … Pteropods: 3 species Why Study Zooplankton?

 Excellent indicators of environmental variation “Zooplankton are beacons of climate change”

“Zooplankton are sensitive indicators”

“Zooplankton Index” recommended as a new Indicator of Ecosystems and Communities. Why Study Zooplankton?

 Key intermediate step in marine food webs Nisqually Chinook diets

Amphipods

Euphausiids

Other Chinook zoop love

Crab larvae crab larvae!

Madi Gamble, Kristin Connelly, Dave Beauchamp One step in marine food webs (??) One step in marine food webs (??)

WHOI.edu

Rebecca Williams

H. Rezai The BIG questions: What causes ecosystem and fisheries variability? What are good indicators of changes? Anthropogenic Large scale climate change variability

Local physical/chemical changes

Lower trophic level variability

Ecosystem and fishery change Puget Sound Zooplankton Monitoring Program 2014 – present. Approx. monthly collections, spring through fall.

Large, multi-collaborator effort. Fills long-standing data gap for fishery and ecosystem managers. zoops SouthSound How do fit in? fit siphonophores more small taxa,oceanic Fewer taxa oceanic More

Axis 1 (55.1%) 2014 Axis 2 (12.5%) Total Zooplankton Biomass - Vertical Net Tows 140

120

) 3 - 100

80

60

40 Biomass m C (mg Biomass 20

0

Apr-14 Oct-14 Apr-15 Oct-15 Apr-16 Oct-16 Apr-17 Oct-17

Jun-14 Jun-15 Jun-16 Jun-17

Feb-15 Feb-16 Feb-17

Dec-14 Dec-15 Dec-16 Dec-17

Aug-14 Aug-15 Aug-16 Aug-17

San Juan Islands Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin N Central Basin Central Basin Central Basin South Sound Total zooplankton biomass (vertical net tows):

Big differences among regions.

) 3 - San Juan- Islands Admiralty Inlet 200 450 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 100 225

0 0

Cumulative Biomass Biomass (mg m C Cumulative May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

) 3 - Central Basin 350 South Sound 400 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 200 175

0 0

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Cumulative Biomass Biomass (mg m C Cumulative Large decreases during warm years

South Sound

Central Basin

San Juan Islands San Juan Islands Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Admiralty Inlet N Hood Canal Central Basin Central Basin Central Basin South Sound Decreased during warm years

San Juan Islands San Juan Islands Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Whidbey Basin Admiralty Inlet N Hood Canal Central Basin Central Basin Central Basin South Sound What are we learning?

• South Sound zooplankton composition is most similar to Main (Central) Basin and Whidbey Basin, but different from both; most different from San Juans.

• South Sound harbors fewest of the taxa with oceanic affinities, lots of siphophores, but also relatively few Noctiluca.

• There is large interannual variability in biomass and species composition.

• We have poor understanding of spatial patterning within South Sound. Thanks to my lab taxonomists and data analysts:

Amanda Winans BethElLee Herrmann Rachel Wilborn Partnerships & Funding