Abstract
Since 1951, the biomass of macrozooplankton in waters off southern California has decreased by 80 percent. During the same period, the surface layer warmed—by more than 1.5°C in some places—and the temperature difference across the thermocline increased. Increased stratification resulted in less lifting of the thermocline by wind-driven upwelling. A shallower source of upwelled waters provided less inorganic nutrient for new biological production and hence supported a smaller zooplankton population. Continued warming could lead to further decline of zooplankton.
Keywords
ThermoclineZooplanktonUpwellingEnvironmental scienceOceanographyStratification (seeds)Biomass (ecology)Mixed layerPopulationNutrientEcologyBiologyGeologyDormancy
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1995
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 267
- Issue
- 5202
- Pages
- 1324-1326
- Citations
- 793
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Dean Roemmich,
John A. McGowan
(1995).
Climatic Warming and the Decline of Zooplankton in the California Current.
Science
, 267
(5202)
, 1324-1326.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.267.5202.1324
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.267.5202.1324