Zooplankton Community During the Transition from Spring Bloom to Oligotrophy in the Open NW Mediterranean and Effects of Wind Events. 2. Vertical Distributions and Migrations

Short-term changes in the vertical distribution of zooplankton organisms are related to behaviour, such as diel, ontogenetic and seasonal migration, and to exogenous factors, such as physical forcing and particularly, windinduced mixing. The selective influence of vertical mixing or advection on the vertical partitioning of zooplankton species or taxonomic categories has been reported in several studies [e.g. However, such in situ studies remain rare. On the other hand, detailed data on the vertical distribution and the various migrating behaviours of copepods are limited for the open Mediterranean Sea, compared with other areas of the world's oceans. Previous investigations have essentially been made in surface or shallow waters, or have involved large depth-sampling intervals, such as the studies of Furnestin Furthermore, reports on seasonal migration have been based on monthly sampling [e.g.