Zooplankton collected by sediment trap moored in deep water south of Iceland

Abstract The seasonal abundance of deep-water zooplankton occurring in a sediment trap moored at 600 m depth south of Iceland was studied from integrated monthly samples during the period November 1986-September 1989. Copepods, ostracods and pteropods usually made up 70–90 % of the animals in the samples. A total of 73 species and other taxa were found in the trap material of which the four most abundant ones were, in declining order of abundance, Limacina retroversa (Flemming) which showed peak abundance in January-February, Conchoecia borealis G.O. Sars which reached maximum abundance in July-September, Euchaeta norvegica Boeck with maxima in March or June-July and Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) which showed maximum numbers in February-March. The following 12 species, which occurred in the sediment trap, are reported as new for Iceland: Nausithoē globifera BROCH (Scyphomedusae); Conchoecia lophura Muller, C. elegans G.O. Sars, C. ametra Muller (Ostracoda); Spinocalanus magnus Wolfenden, Aetideopsis mul...