Horizontal current field, ADCP backscatter, and plankton distribution in Sagami Bay, Japan

Abstract

The dry mass of zooplankton and backscatter from an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) used in Sagami Bay, Japan, from 9 to 13 April 2005 were well correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.72, root mean square dry weight = 2.5 mg m-3). The horizontal current field and zooplankton distribution were estimated from shipboard ADCP data. Although sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration observed by satellite were consistent with the current field, a counterclockwise circulation associated with the Kuroshio meander, zooplankton were mainly distributed downstream of the phytoplankton population by horizontal current advection. © 2008 The Authors.