Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:49:16.924Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

On the Value of Certain Plankton Animals as Indicators of Water Movements in the English Channel and North Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

F. S. Russell
F. S. Russell
Affiliation:
Naturalist at the Plymouth Laboratory.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The possibility that certain plankton organisms retained by a stramin net may prove of value as indicators in elucidating the water movements at the mouth of the English Channel is shown.

The water populated by Sagitta setosa is shown to be clearly demarked from that in which S. elegans lives, the latter living to the west of the Channel mouth south of Ireland. The water in which S. elegans lives has here been called “western” water.

It is shown that the planktonic indicators for “western” water are Sagitta elegans, Sagitta serratodentata, Aglantha rosea, Stephanomia bijuga, Clione limacina, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa inermis, and Cosmetira pilosella (in spring and summer only). Sagitta setosa is regarded as an indicator of “Channel” water. Muggiæa, Salps, Doliolids, Liriope exigua and Euchœa hebes are regarded as indicators of “south-western” water.

The geographical distribution of S. setosa is discussed. It is shown that it is probably a neritic species mainly confined to the English Channel and North Sea.

S. setosa predominates off Plymouth when the easterly element in the Dover Straits current is suppressed and the flow of Atlantic water into the North Sea from the north is strong (Carruthers' Theory). The two Sagitta populations swing to and fro off Plymouth so that, with a strong flow of Atlantic water into the North Sea from the north, the S. elegans population is pushed westward to the mouth of the Channel and S. setosa occurs off Plymouth.

During the course of the five years, 1930 to 1934, an agreement has been found between the occurrence or absence of concentrations of the diatom Rhizosolenia styliformis in the southern North Sea and the variations in the composition of the Sagitta population off Plymouth In the years in which Ehizosolenia, an indicator of Atlantic water, was abundant in the southern North Sea S. setosa predominated off Plymouth; when Rhizosolenia was absent S. elegans predominated.

These diatom concentrations have been shown by Savage and Hardy t o have an apparent influence on the movements of the Herring which is reflected in the landings at Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , August 1935 , pp. 309 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1935

References

REFEEENCES

Bonnevie, Kr. 1913. Pteropoda from the “Michael Sars” North Atlantic Deep-Sea Expedition, 1910. Rep. Sci.Res.M.Sars N. Atl. Exped., 1910, Vol. III, Part I, 1913 (reprinted 1933), pp. 1–69.Google Scholar
Browne, Edward T. 1896. On British Hydroids and Medusæ. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pp. 459–500.Google Scholar
Browne, Edward T. 1900. The Fauna and Flora of Valencia Harbour on the West Coast of Ireland. II. Report on the Medusæ (1895–1898), pp. 694–736.Google Scholar
Browne, Edward T. 1906. Biscayan Plankton collected during a cruise of H.M.S. “Research,” 1900. Pt. IX. The Medusæ. Trans. Linn. Soc. London. 2nd Ser. Zool. Vol. X, Pt. 6, pp. 163–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bygrave, W. 1911. Report on the Plankton of the English Channel in 1906. Mar. Biol. Assoc. Internat. Fish. Invest. 3rd Report (Southern Area), 1906–1908, pp. 235–267.Google Scholar
Carruthers, J. N. 1928. The Flow of water through the Straits of Dover as gauged by continuous current meter observations at the Varne Lightvessel (50°56′N.–1°17′E.). Min. Agric. Fish., Fish. Invest., Ser. II, Vol. XI, No. 1, pp. 1–109.Google Scholar
Carruthers, J. N. 1934. Certain Fishery Applications of the results of researches on marine currents carried out from the Lowestoft Fisheries Laboratory. British Association Rep. Annual Meeting, 1934, Section D, pp. 325–326.Google Scholar
Carruthers, J. N. 1935. The Flow of water through the Straits of Dover as gauged by continuous Current-Meter Observations at the Varne Lightvessel (50° 56′ N.–1° 17′ E.). Part II.—Second Report on Results Obtained. Min. Agric. Fish., Fish. Invest., Ser. II, Vol. XIV, No. 4, pp. 1–67.Google Scholar
Farran, G. P. 1911. Copepoda. Résumé des observations sur le Plankton des Mers exploreés par le Conseil pendant les Années 1902–1908. Bull. Trirnest. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer., Pt. II, pp. 81–149.Google Scholar
Frost, Winifred E. 1932. Observations on the Reproduction of Nyctiphanes couchii (Bell) and Meganyctiphanes norvegica (Sars) off the South Coast of Ireland. Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., Vol. XL, Sect. B, No. 14, pp. 194–232.Google Scholar
Gough, Lewis Henry. 1905, a. On the Distribution and the Migrations of Muggiœa atlantica, Cunningham, in the English Channel, the Irish Sea, and off the South and West coasts of Ireland, in 1904. Cons. Perm. Int. Explor. Mer., Publ. Circ. No. 29, pp. 1–13.Google Scholar
Gough, Lewis Henry. 1905, b. Report on the Plankton of the English Channel in 1903. Mar. Biol. Assoc. Internat. Fish. Invest., 1st Report (Southern Area), 1902–1903, pp. 325–377.Google Scholar
Harvey, H. W. 1930. Hydrography of the Mouth of the English Channel, 1925–1928. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., N.S., Vol. XVI, No. 3, pp. 791–820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, H. W.. 1934. Hydrography of the Mouth of the English Channel, 1929-1932. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. XIX, No. 2, pp. 737–746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hickling, C. F. 1925. Notes on Euphausiids. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., N.S., Vol. XIII, No. 3, pp. 735–745.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huntsman, A. G. 1919. Some Quantitative and Qualitative Plankton Studies of the Eastern Canadian Plankton. Canadian Fisheries Expedition, 1914–1915, pp. 405–485, Ottawa.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kramp, P. L. 1913. Schizopoda. Résumé des Observations sur le Plankton des Mers explorées par le Conseil pendant les Années 1902–1908. Bull. Trim. Cons. Perm. Int. Explor. Mer., Pt. III, pp. 539–556.Google Scholar
Kramp, P. L. 1919. The Danish Ingolf Expedition, Vol. V, No. 8, Medusæ. Part I, Leptomedusæ, pp. 1–111.Google Scholar
Kramp, P. L. 1933. Nordisches Plankton. XXII Lief., XII. Craspedote Medusen. 3 Teil: Leptomedusen, pp. 541–602.Google Scholar
Lebour, M. V. 1924. The Euphausiidse in the Neighbourhood of Plymouth and their Importance as Herring Food. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., N.S., Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 402–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucas, C. E. 1933. Occurrence of Dolioletta gegenbauri (Uljanin) in the North Sea. Nature, Vol. 132, p. 858.Google Scholar
Lumby, J. E. 1925. The Salinity and Water Movements in the English Channel and Southern Bight during the Period 1920–1923. Min. Agric. Fish., Fish. Invest., Ser. II, Vol. VII, 1924, pp. 1–37.Google Scholar
Matthews, Donald J. 1924. The Salinity and Temperature of the Irish Channel and the Waters south of Ireland. Fisheries, Ireland, Sci. Invest., 1913, IV, pp. 1–26.Google Scholar
Meek, Alexander. 1928. On Sagitta elegans and Sagitta setosa from the Northumbrian Plankton, with a Note on a Trematode Parasite. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, No. 29, pp. 743–746.Google Scholar
Paulsen, Ove. 1910. Pteropoda. Résumé des Observations sur le Plankton des Mers exploéers par le Conseil pendant les Années 1902–1908. Bull. Trim. Cons. Perm. Int. Explor. Mer., Pt. I, pp. 52–59.Google Scholar
Pelseneer, Paul. 1906. Biscayan Plankton collected during a cruise of H.M.S. “Research,” 1900. Pt. VII. Mollusca. Trans. Linn. Soc., London, 2nd Ser., Zool., Vol. X, Pt. 5, pp. 137–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ritter-Áahony, Rudolf Von. 1911. Die Chätognathen der Plankton-Expedition. Ergeb. d. Plankt. Exped. d. Humboldt-Stiftung, Bd. II, H.e., pp. 1–32.Google Scholar
Russell, F. S. 1927. The Vertical Distribution of Marine Macro-plankton. V. The Distribution of Animals caught in the Daytime in the Plymouth Area. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., N.S., Vol. XIV, No. 3, pp. 557–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, F. S. 1933, a. The Seasonal Distribution of Macroplankton as shown by Catches in the 2-metre Stramin Ring-trawl in Off-shore Waters off Plymouth. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. XIX, No. 1, pp. 3–82.Google Scholar
Russell, F. S. 1933, b. On the Biology of Sagitta. IV. Observations on the Natural History of Sagitta elegans Verrill and Sagitta setosa J. Müller n i the Plymouth Area. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. XVIII, No. 2, pp. 559–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, F. S. 1934. On the Occurrence of the Siphonophores Muggiœa atlantica Cunningham and Muggiœa kochi (Will) in the English Channel. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. XIX, No. 2, pp. 555–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, F. S. 1935. The Seasonal Abundance and Distribution of the Pelagic Young of Teleostean Fishes Caught in the Ring-trawl in Offshore Waters in the Plymouth Area. Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Vol. XX, No. 2, pp. 147–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, F. S., and KEMP, Stanley. 1932. Pelagic Animals off the South-west coasts of the British Isles. Nature, Vol. 130, p. 664.Google Scholar
Russell, F. S., and Hastings, A. B. 1933. On the Occurrence of Pelagic Tunicates (Thaliacea) in the Waters of the English Channel off Plymouth. Ibid., Vol. XVIII, No. 2, pp. 635–640.Google Scholar
Savage, R. E., and Hardy, A. C. 1935. Phytoplankton and the Herring. Part I. 1921 to 1932. Min. Agric. Fish. Invest., Ser. II, Vol. XIV, No. 2, pp. 1–73.Google Scholar
Scott, Thos. 1911. Copepoda. Résumé des Observations sur le Plankton des Mers explorées par le Conseil pendant les Années 1902–1908. Bull. Trim. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer., Pt. II, pp. 106–149.Google Scholar
Thomsen, Helge. 1933. The Distribution of Phosphate and Nitrate in the North Sea in May, 1932. Cons. Perm. Int. Explor. Mer., Rapp. Proc. Verb., Vol. LXXXV, pp. 42–46.Google Scholar
Wulff, A., Bückmann, A., and Künne, Cl. 1934. Berichte über die Teilnahme an einer Fischereischutzfahrt der “Weser” zu Unter-suchungen über die Verbreitung der Heringslarven in der südlichen. Nordsee und dem Kanaleingang. 7 November bis 15 Dezember 1933. Ber. deutsch. wiss. Komm. f. Meeresforsch. N.F., Bd. VII, Heft 3, pp. 328–342.Google Scholar