Analyzing zooplankton communities to better understand their ecologically important role in the Gulf of Maine marine food web

The Gulf of Maine is a diverse and complex marine ecosystem that supports a variety of ecologically and economically important species. It is also one of the most productive marine environments in the North Atlantic. As we continue to face environmental changes due to anthropogenic climate change, it is important to survey, quantify, and analyze the changes that are occurring in this ecosystem. Complex food webs consisting of diverse species of phytoplankton and zooplankton support countless species of invertebrates, teleosts, elasmobranchs, sea birds, and marine mammals. In this study, we examine the abundance, composition, and distribution of zooplankton and their fish predators. Preliminary results from this research suggest high zooplankton abundance at marine sites with high exposure when compared with protected sites with high freshwater influence. Zooplankton composition was highly variable both within and between sites. Future research will investigate how environmental factors and fish abundance correlate with patterns of zooplankton community structure. This research provides the baseline information needed to study how basal trophic levels are changing