Abstract
Mesozooplankton biomass (as displacement volume and protein content) and electron-transport system (ETS) activity have been studied in the coastal waters around the Canary Islands. Increases in biomass and ETS activity, on a unit volume basis, were observed in the wakes of the islands. The biomass values obtained in the leeward area for Gran Canaria Island were up to ten times higher than those observed for typical oceanic waters around this archipelago. Sampling was performed in May 1986 at the end of the characteristic vertical mixing period in these waters. Relatively strong winds were recorded prior to sampling. Specific ETS activity was higher at the windward stations on the island shelf. This correlates with the observation in a recent study of increased primary production on the shelf area, where turbulence produced by the northerly trade winds has a marked effect. The persistence of this turbulence during a prolonged wind-pulse results in an accumulation of organisms in the wake of the islands due to current dynamics. This process is proposed as being an important causative mechanism of the island-mass effect. Different biomass values were recorded between circular and oblong islands. The latter are oriented towards the current and the northerly trade winds, and display significantly lower biomass values than the former.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Alldredge, A. L., Hamner, W. M. (1980). Recurring aggregation of zooplankton by tidal current. Estuar. cstl mar. Sci. 10: 31–37
Arístegui, J., Hernández-León, S., Gómez, M., Medina, L., Ojeda, A., Torres, S. (1989). Influence of the north trade winds on the biomass and production of neritic plankton around Gran Canaria island. Scientia mar. 53: 223–229
Barkley, R. A. (1972). Johnston Atoll's wake. J. mar. Res. 30: 201–216
Blackburn, M. (1965). Oceanography and the ecology of tunas. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 3: 299–322
Boden, B. P., Parker, L. D. (1986). The plankton of the Prince Edward Islands. Polar Biol. 5: 81–93
Braun, J. G. (1980). Estudios de producción en aguas de las Islas Canarias. I. Hidrografia, nutrientes y producción primaria. Boln Inst. esp. Oceanogr. 5 (285): 149–154
Braun, J. G. (1981). Estudios de producción en aguas de las Islas Canarias. II Producción del zooplancton. Boln Inst. esp. Oceanogr. 290: 89–96
Conover, R. J. (1959). Regional and seasonal variation in the respiratory rate of marine copepods. Limnol. Oceanogr. 4: 259–268
De León, A. R., Braun, J. G. (1973). Ciclo anual de la producción primaria y su relación con los nutrientes en aguas Canarias. Boln Inst. esp. Oceanogr. 167: 1–24
Doty, M. S., Oguri, M. (1956). The island mass effect. J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 22: 33–37
Feldman, G., Clark, D., Halpern, D. (1984). Satellite color observations of the phytoplankton distribution in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during the 1982–1983 El Niño. Science, N.Y. 226: 1069–1071
Fernández De Puelles, M. L. (1986). Ciclo anual de la comunidad de meso y microzooplancton; su biomasa, estructura, relaciones tróficas y producción en aguas de las Islas Canarias. Tesis. Universidad de Madrid
Gilmartin, M., Revelante, N. (1974). The “island mass” effect on the phytoplankton and primary production of the Hawaiian Islands. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 16: 181–204
Hargraves, P. E., Brody, R. W., Burkholder, P. R. (1970). A study of phytoplankton in the Lesser Antilles region. Bull. mar. Sci. 20: 331–349
Hernández-León, S. (1986). “Efecto de masa de isla” en aguas del Archipiélago Canario según estudios de biomasa y actividad del sistema de transporte de electrones en el mesozooplancton. Tesis. Universidad La Laguna
Hernández-León, S. (1987). Actividad del sistema de transporte de electrones en el mesozooplancton durante un máximo primaveral en aguas del Archipiélago Canario. Investigación pesq. 51: 491–499
Hernández-León, S. (1988a). Ciclo anual de la biomasa del mesozooplancton sobre un área de plataforma en aguas del Archipiélago Canario. Investigación pesq. 52: 3–16
Hernández-León, S. (1988b). Gradients of mesozooplankton biomass and ETS activity in the wind shear area as evidence of an island mass effect in the Canary Island waters. J. Plankton Res 10: 1141–1154
Hernández-León, S., Llinás, O., Braun, J. G (1984). Nota sobre la variación de la biomasa del mesozooplancton en aguas de Canarias. Investigación pesq. 48: 495–508
Hernández-León, S., Miranda-Rodal, D. (1987). Actividad del sistema de transporte de electrones y biomasa del mesozooplancton en aguas de las Islas Canarias. Boln Inst. esp. Oceanogr. 4 (2): 49–62
Houvenaghel, G. T. (1978). Oceanographic conditions in the Galapagos Archipelago and their relationships with life on the islands. In: Boje, R., Tomczak, M. (eds.) Upwelling ecosystems. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, p. 181–200
Ikeda, T. (1970). Relationship between respiration rate and body size in marine plankton animals as a function of the temperature of habitat. Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ. 21: 91–112
Jones, E. C. (1962). Evidence of an island effect upon the standing crop of zooplankton near the Marquesas Islands, Central Pacific. J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 27: 223–231
Kenner, R. A., Ahmed, S. I. (1975). Measurements of electron transport activities in marine phytoplankton. Mar. Biol. 33: 119–127
Le Borgne, R. P., Dandonneau, Y., Lemasson, L. (1985). The problem of the island mass effect on chlorophyll and zooplankton standing crops around Mare (Loyalty Islands) and New Caledonia. Bull. mar. Sci. 37: 450–459
Lowry, P. H., Rosenbrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., Randall, R. J. (1951). Protein measurement with a Folin phenol reagent. J. biol. Chem. 193: 265–275
Mascareño, D. (1972). Algunas consideraciones oceanográficas de las aguas del Archipiélago Canario. Boln Inst. esp. Oceanogr. 158: 1–79
Mascareño, D., Molina, R. (1970). Contribution à l'étude de l'upwelling dans la zone Canarienne africaine. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Commn. int. Explor. scient. Mer Méditerr. 159: 61–73
Molina, R., Laatzen, F. L. (1986). Corrientes en la región comprendida entre las Islas Canarias orientales, Maruecos y las Islas Madeira. Campaña Norcanarias I. Revta Geofis. 42: 41–52
Moore, H. B. (1949). The zooplankton of the upper waters of the Bermuda area of the North Atlantic. Bull. Bingham oceanogr. Coll. 12: 1–97
Moore, E., Sander, F. (1979). A comparative study of zooplankton from oceanic, shelf and harbour waters of Jamaica. Biotropica 11: 196–206
Nival, P., Nival, S., Palazzoli, I (1972). Données sur la respiration de différents organismes communs dans le plancton de Villefranche-sur-Mer. Mar. Biol. 17: 63–76
Owens, T. G., King, F. D. (1975). The measurement of respiratory electron-transport-system activity in marine zooplankton. Mar. Biol. 30: 27–36
Packard, T. T. (1969). The estimation of the oxygen utilization rate in seawater from the activity of the respiratory electron transport system in plankton. Ph. D. thesis. University of Washington, Seattle
Packard, T. T., Devol, A. H., King, F. D. (1975). The effect of temperature on the respiratory electron transport system in marine plankton. Deep-Sea Res. 22: 237–249
Pérez-Martell, E. (1988). Interacción vientos-corrientes en profundidades reducidas. Un modelo para la costa este de Gran Canaria. Tesis, Universidad Politécnica de Canarias
Sander, F. (1973). Internal waves as causative mechanisms of island mass effects. Caribb. J. Sci. 13: 179–182
Sander, F. (1981). A preliminary assessment of the main causative mechanisms of the “island mass” effect of Barbados. Mar. Biol. 64: 199–205
Scholander, P. F., Flagg, W., Walters, V., Irving, L. (1953). Climatic adaptation in arctic and tropical poikilotherms. Physiol. Zoöl. 26: 67–92
Simpson, J. H., Tett, P. B., Argote-Espinoza, M. L., Edwards, A., Jones, K. J., Savidge, G. (1982). Mixing and phytoplankton growth around an island in a stratified area. Contin. Shelf Res. 1: 15–31
Sund, P. N., Blackburn, M., Williams, F. (1981). Tunas and their environment in the Pacific Ocean: a review. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 19: 443–512
UNESCO (1968). Zooplankton sampling. Monogr. oceanogr. Methodol. (UNESCO) 2: 1–174
Van Camp, L., Nykjaer, L. (1988). Remote sensing of the Northwest African upwelling area. Commission of the European Communities. Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy (Internal tech. Rep.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J.M. Pérès, Marseille
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hernández-León, S. Accumulation of mesozooplankton in a wake area as a causative mechanism of the “island-mass effect”. Mar. Biol. 109, 141–147 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01320241
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01320241