Observations on the Aggregative Behavior of Mysidium columbiae, the Mangrove Mysid

Abstract. The mangrove mysid Mysidium columbine (Z immer ) occurs in aggregations of tens to millions of individuals. Few indepth studies on the aggregative behavior of this species have examined structural composition, response to light intensity changes, and its ability to reduce prcdation. Snorkel and SCUBA observations, as well as aquarium experimentation on shoals/ schools of this species in shallow waters around a mangrove archipelago were made at irregular intervals to determine their structure, dynamics, and influence on prcdation. In summer, aggregations occurred as large cylindrical shoals, in winter as small ovoid schools. In daylight, shoals/schools were very sensitive to changes in light intensity. At night the smallest juveniles formed compact swarms, while larger individuals became solitary. At sunrise a definite rc-shoaling behavior existed. Shoals/schools were stratified by life stages. A hypothesis stating that conspecific schools in winter did not mix was tested. Mysidium shoals/schools seemed to discourage prcdation by fishes.     

2006～2007年福建沿岸海域石首鱼类资源量时空变化

基于2006～2007年福建沿岸海域4个航次的底拖网调查,分析了福建沿岸海域石首鱼科鱼类的资源现状.结果表明:4个航次共捕获石首鱼类16种,其中春季捕获石首鱼类10种,夏季和冬季均捕获14种,秋季捕获12种.不同航次捕获的石首鱼类占所有鱼类总渔获量的比例为10.43%～23.23%,平均15.71%.平均资源密度和平均个体密度分别为81.49 kg/km2和3 663.06 ind./km2.平均资源密度和平均个体密度均以秋季最高,分别为130.02 kg/km2和5 702.64 ind./km2.闽东沿岸海域、闽江口及其附近海域、闽中沿岸海域和厦门沿岸海域石首鱼类的全年平均资源密度分别为70.75、96.23、22.54和84.57 kg/km2.在各种石首鱼类中,叫姑鱼(Johnius belengerii)的资源密度和个体密度最大,其次是丁氏(Wak tingi).叫姑鱼的相对重要性指数最高,为871.01,仅叫姑鱼为优势种.与近20 a前的调查资料相比较,石首鱼类的渔获量占鱼类总渔获量的比例升高,但资源密度显著下降,必须采取措施,避免开发强度的继续增加,以利于其资源的可持续利用.     

广西英罗港红树林区鱼类多样性研究

1999年4个季度研究了广西英罗港红树林区的林缘和潮沟潮水中鱼类的种类多样性。共发现有鱼类76种，隶属于36科59属。其中林缘有42种，潮沟有54种，4个季度出现的鱼类种数潮沟多于林缘。两生境种类相似性指数较低，表现为：春季＞冬季＞夏季＞秋季。各季节均出现的鱼类在林缘有6种，占全年总种数的14．3％；潮沟有8种，占全年总种数的14．8％；两个季节间共有种最多的：在林缘是夏季与冬季，在潮沟是夏季与秋季，它们的相似性指数也最大。全年在林缘和潮沟均出现的鱼类仅有1种。本区鱼类以暖水性种占绝对优势；但潮沟暖温性种多于林缘。在生态类型上，林缘以中上层种类较多，潮沟则以底层种类较多。     

Trophic ecology of bottom fishes assemblage along coastal areas of Thailand

Food preferences, feeding attributes, trophic guilds, and ontogenetic changes in diet compositions of 45 fish species collected along coastal waters in the southern areas of the South China Sea, Thailand were examined. Most species had high food intake and fed on specific ranges of food types. Shrimp was the most important food (31.7%), followed by calanoid copepod (16.8%), fish (12.7%) and gammarid amphipod (8.3%). These fishes can be categorized into six different trophic guilds and further divided into four categories namely; piscivore, zooplanktivore, zoobenthivore and miscellaneous/opportunist. Numbers of feeding guilds at each depth vary between four and five. Four of these are consistently found throughout the year at all zones; shrimp predator, piscivore, calanoid copepod feeder and a combination of polychaete and other food feeders. Ontogenetic studies indicate that fishes are more likely to group according to species rather than size. This scientific information is important when examining the complex association between fishes and identifying groups of species using similar resources.     

Artificial Reefs in the Low Productive Marine Environments of the Southeastern Mediterranean

Abstract. Fishery yields in the oligotrophic waters of the Southeastern Mediterranean arc low due to habitat and food limitations. A four year study of a complex of artificial structures established in the coastal waters of Israel points to several possible solutions to these problems. One approach is the artificial enrichment of the man-made reef with trash fish. This, together with the configuration of the reef, caused a significant increase in the abundance of fish predators such as groupers of the genus Epinephclus. Omnivores and herbivores were attracted only by the presence of artificial structures. Some species, such as the slipper lobster Scyllurides lulus, only use the man-made reef for shelter during part of the day or season; they forage over a much larger area the rest of the time and are important "importers" of food to the artificial habitat. Artificial kelp were effective in recruiting juveniles and small fishes to the site.     

南海北部上层鱼类浮游生物多样性和丰度的季节变化

The objective of this study was to investigate the seasonal variations of ichthyoplankton diversity and abun-dance in the northern South China Sea based on the data collected during summer, winter and spring. In total, 95 taxa of larval fishes were identified. The greatest number of species was recorded in spring, followed by summer and winter. The number of species was distributed mainly in the coastal waters from the east of Leizhou Peninsula to the southeast of Hainan Island during the surveyed periods of summer and spring, but in the offshore waters during winter. The abundance of larval fish was lowest in winter, increased in spring, and reached the maximum in summer. High abundance of larval fish was generally restricted to coastal waters with the isobaths less than 50 m. Seasonal variations of larval fish richness, abundance and diversity index were significant （P〈0.001）. Carangidae was the most common and abundant taxon in summer and winter, whileSardinella sp.,Thrissa mystax andLeiognathus sp. were dominant in spring. High diversity and abundance of larval fish might be attributed to increased temperature and coastal upwelling in spring and summer.     

Diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from the waters of Mauritius (western Indian Ocean) inferred from stomach contents and fatty acid analysis

The diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from their spawning ground in the waters of Mauritius was investigated. The stomach contents of 249 albacore individuals, caught by industrial longliners and artisanal fishers, was analysed, and the dominant prey taxa were selected for lipid and fatty acid (FA) analysis. The FA profiles of prey were compared with those of liver tissue of spawning-capable and post-spawning female albacore, using multivariate analysis. Whereas stomach content analysis identified cephalopods and crustaceans as the dominant prey items in number, FA-profile analysis identified crustaceans and fishes as the most-frequently consumed prey of post-spawning female albacore. In contrast, the FA profiles of spawning-capable albacore and those of prey showed very low similarity. Analysis of the prey suggests that although cephalopods, crustaceans and fishes could all provide albacore with the required lipids and FAs, cephalopod prey seem to be less desirable owing to their lower energy content (i.e. low in total lipid, triacylglycerol, 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1ω9). Instead, the most beneficial food appeared to be locally available fishes, which are more energy-rich and have a higher docosahexaenoic acid/ eicosapentaenoic acid ratio. These results provide new information on the trophic ecology of albacore, promote our understanding of the importance of prey type for successful reproduction of albacore, and highlight the advantages of FA profiling to study diet.     

The immediate effects of Hurricane Iniki on intertidal fauna on the south shore of O'ahu

When Hurricane Iniki struck the Hawaiian Islands in September 1992, it provided a rare opportunity to examine the immediate effects of a hurricane on two intertidal benthic communities off the reefs of O'ahu, Hawai'i. The Niu Beach site contained large, obvious aggregations of the tube building polychaete Diopatra dexiognatha, and the Wailupe Beach site was without obvious tubiculous fauna at the surface. Ten replicate sediment cores were taken before and after the hurricane with a 7.6 cm PVC corer and organisms were identified to family and enumerated. There were no substantial depletions or loss of taxa after the hurricane. Oligochaetes were the most dominant taxa pre-and post-hurricane. The abundance of all dominant polychaete families increased post-hurricane. The three most abundant polychaetes were capitellids and D. dexiognatha (Onuphidae) at Niu Beach and Pygospio muscularis (Spionidae) at Wailupe Beach. We suggest that D. dexiognatha and P. muscularis help stabilize the sediments since they both form dense tube mats while capitellids and oligochaetes are considered highly adaptive surface burrowers that can take advantage of newly disturbed sediments. Overall, there was no substantial effect observed on the intertidal fauna exposed to this severe disturbance. It is suggested here that invertebrate communities in this area are adapted to survive and thrive in high-energy environments and possibly benefit from dense aggregations of tube building polychaetes.     

福建东山湾浮游动物的种类组成和分布特点

1981年7月至1982年6月(每月1次)的周年调查结果表明:福建东山湾浮游动物的种类组成较丰富,已鉴定有176种,其中,暖水种占大多数;以暖水种和暖温带种为优势,分别在夏季和冬季形成总生物量高峰;阶段性浮游幼虫,特别是短尾类溞状幼虫等在夏季总生物量高峰中占有重要地位,以及多样性指数和均匀度的季节变化较显著等,显示了亚热带河口-港湾区浮游动物生态的基本特点。此外,东山湾浮游动物总生物量、种类数及多样性指数等的平面分布规律都较明显。     

Numerical modeling of the arctic ocean deepwater formation: Part I. Idealized study

In this study the capability of numerical models to transport anomalously dense bottom waters from the areas of their generation on the shelf to deepwater areas is considered. These numerical models have a number of mechanisms that are favorable for this transport, but unrelated directly with the real physics of that motion. A more accurate account of the resupply of oceanic deep waters requires either a very fine resolution for the numerical model or an efficient parametrization. Two such parametrizations are proposed in this study. The first is based on amplified lateral diffusion exchange if slope instability exists. The second is related to an additional procedure allowing dense waters to leak under waters of lesser density along a shelf slope with their displacement to higher layers. The first parametrization is shown to be less efficient because it leads to a significant interaction between anomaly waters and ambient waters and to a quick loss of their original features. The second procedure is more preferable because it leads to a significant resupply of dense deep waters at the expense of dense waters generated at a distance significantly far from the shelf break. With the help of the given parametrization, during a numerical experiment these waters can be transported considerable distances away from their place of generation to the shelf boundary and deepwater areas of the ocean with a slight change in their original density characteristics.     

Spawning patterns of four species of predominantly temperate pelagic fishes in the sub-tropical waters of southern Queensland

The diverse pelagic fish assemblage of sub-tropical southern Queensland includes fishes with predominantly temperate distributions, such as tailor Pomatomus saltatrix, sardine Sardinops sagax, round herring Etrumeus teres, and Australian anchovy Engraulis australis. The peak spawning seasons of P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres occur during late winter and early spring (June–October). Eggs and larvae of these three species are widely distributed in shelf waters and comprise >50% of the ichthyoplankton assemblage during this period. Mean monthly sea surface temperatures (SSTs) during late winter and early spring range from 21 to 23 °C, and are thus similar to those recorded in southern Australia during summer and autumn, which is the spawning season of these three species in those temperate waters. E. australis eggs occur mainly in inshore waters, and comprise >50% of fish eggs collected during summer and autumn when mean monthly SSTs in southern Queensland exceed 27 °C. E. australis also spawns mainly during summer and autumn in temperate Australia. Hence, water temperature may be less important as a determinant of the spawning season of E. australis than it is for the other three species. The suitability of southern Queensland for spawning by predominantly temperate species during late winter and early spring may contribute to the high diversity of the region's pelagic fish assemblage. Adult P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres appear to migrate northwards into southern Queensland during early winter to spawn, and larvae may be transported southwards into temperate waters by the East Australian Current. This dispersal-migration pattern is similar to those observed for several species, including P. saltatrix, in the western boundary current systems off the east coasts of North America and Africa. Hence, pelagic fishes in ecosystems off the east coast of three continents migrate into sub-tropical waters to spawn, and larvae are transported back into temperate nursery areas by the prevailing current.     

Distribution of bacterial abundance and cell-specific nucleic acid content in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

We tested the idea that bacterial cells with high nucleic acid content (HNA cells) are the active component of marine bacterioplankton assemblages, while bacteria with low nucleic acid content (LNA cells) are inactive, with a large data set (>1700 discrete samples) based on flow cytometric analysis of bacterioplankton in the Northeast Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon and northern California, USA. Samples were collected in the upper 150 m of the water column from the coast to 250 km offshore during 14 cruises from March 2001 to September 2003. During this period, a wide range of trophic states was encountered, from dense diatom blooms (chlorophyll-a concentrations up to 43 μg l⁻¹) at shelf stations during upwelling season (March–September) to lower chlorophyll-a concentrations (0.1–5 μg l⁻¹) during winter (November–February) and at basin stations (>1700 m depth). We found only weakly positive relations of log total bacterial abundance to log chlorophyll-a concentration (as a proxy for availability of organic substrate), and of HNA bacteria as a fraction of total bacteria to log chlorophyll-a. Abundance of HNA and LNA bacteria co-varied positively in all regions, although HNA bacteria were more responsive to high phytoplankton biomass in shelf waters than in slope and basin waters. Since LNA cell abundance in general showed responses similar to those of HNA cell abundance to changes in phytoplankton biomass, our data do not support the hypothesis that HNA cells are the sole active component of marine bacterioplankton.     

A seasonal comparison of prokaryote numbers,biomass and heterotrophic productivity in waters of the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The KwaZulu-Natal Bight is a shallow indentation of the eastern seaboard of South Africa, characterised by a narrow (45 km wide) extension of the continental shelf, with a shelf break at about 100 m. It has a complex hydrography: the waters of the bight are derived from the fast-flowing, southward-trending Agulhas Current, which is fed mostly by the tropical and subtropical surface waters of the South-West Indian Ocean subgyre, which are generally oligotrophic in nature, notably depleted in reduced nitrogen and phosphate except at river mouths and during periodic upwelling of deeper nutrient-rich water. Despite this, the bight is believed to be relatively productive, and it is suggested that efficient nutrient recycling by prokaryotes may sustain primary productivity efficiently, even in the absence of new nutrient inputs. Here we have measured bacterial numbers, biomass and heterotrophic productivity during summer and winter in conjunction with phytoplankton standing stock and factors that influence it. Bacterial distribution closely matched phytoplankton distribution in surface waters, and was highest close to the coast. Bacterial standing stocks were similar to those of oligotrophic systems elsewhere (0.5–5.0 × 10⁵ cells ml^–1; 1 × 10^–8 to 1.25 × 10^–7 g C ml^–1) and increased in association with the development of phytoplankton blooms offshore and with inputs of allochthonous material by rivers at the coast. Heterotrophic productivity in summer was lowest in the far south and north of the bight (0.5 × 10^–10 g C ml^–1 h^–1) but higher close to the shore, over shallow banks, and in association with increased phytoplankton abundance over the midshelf (1.0–3.5 × 10^–9 g C ml^–1 h^–1). There were marked seasonal differences with lower bacterial standing stocks (5 × 10⁴ to 2 × 10⁵ cells ml^–1; 4–5 × 10^–9 to 1–2 × 10^–8 g C ml^–1) and very low bacterial productivity (4 × 10^–11 to 1 × 10^–10 g C ml^–1 h^–1) in winter, probably resulting from lowered rates of primary productivity and dissolved organic matter release as well as reduced riverine allochthonous inputs during the winter drought.     

台湾近海的温、盐垂直结构与t－S图解类型

本文根据我国台湾海洋工作者的调查分析资料，对台湾近海的温、盐垂直分布及ｔ－Ｓ图解特征进行分析，按其相似性特点进行归类和分型，并探讨它们的特点和异同之处。主要结果如下：１．冬、夏季台湾近海的温、盐垂直分布类型有５种，ｔ－Ｓ图解类型为９种。２．冬季台湾近海的水温垂直分布存在着一层、二层、三层结构，夏季多为三层结构；冬、夏季的盐度垂直分布为二层和三层结构。３．台湾西南、南和东北近海，ｔ－Ｓ图解类型复杂，出现多种类型交错。４．夏季台湾南端的猫鼻头、鹅銮鼻沿岸附近，其温、盐垂直分布皆出现上均匀层，此现象实属少见。     

Physical Characteristics of Haida Eddies

Haida Eddies are anti-cyclonic features that form in winter along the eastern continental margin of the Gulf of Alaska, west of the Canadian Queen Charlotte Islands. These eddies have been observed in many oceanographic programs, but their full life cycle has only been known for the past few years. Core waters of eddies are warmer below 100 m depth, and normally fresher at all depths than surrounding waters. Eddies formed in the ENSO winters of 1982/83 and 1997/98 were the highest observed, and were warmer than observed in other years. A study of historical variability of dynamic heights in regions where five eddies were observed shows that Haida Eddies are rare events in each region; and their impact cannot be simulated in any one year without directly modelling each individual eddy. The very large Haida Eddy formed in 1998 is the best sampled to date. Satellite-based measurements six months after its formation show the eddy to rise between 0.33 and 0.37 m above surrounding waters, with a Gaussian radius between 60 and 75 km. Dynamic height anomalies at this time, computed from ship-based observations along two lines through the eddy to 1500 metres depth, reveal a height of 0.32 and 0.35 m respectively, relative to surrounding waters, and Gaussian radius of 60 km. It was almost totally baroclinic, with one-half the baroclinic structure in the upper 375 m or so; however, its anti-cyclonic rotation depressed isotherms and isohalines at depths below 1000 m. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Distribution patterns of larval and juvenile fishes at offshore petroleum platforms in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

Vertical and horizontal distribution patterns of larval and juvenile fishes were described from five offshore petroleum platforms in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Light traps and passively-fished plankton nets were used nocturnally between 1995–2000 to collect fishes in surface and deep (15–23 m depth) waters within the platform structure, and light traps were also used in surface waters directly down-current of the platforms. Light traps fished at the surface, as opposed to at-depth, collected greater CPUEs and greater diversity of larval and juvenile fishes. Of the dominant taxa collected by light traps, clupeids, engraulids, synodontids, and presettlement blenniids were most common in surface waters within the platform, while postflexion scombrids and settlement-size blenniids and pomacentrids were most common in surface waters down-current of the platforms. Deep plankton nets collected greater densities of non-clupeiform larval fishes, although surface plankton nets collected greater numbers of taxa. The vertical distribution patterns described for dominant larval fish collected by plankton nets were generally consistent with those from other studies, i.e. clupeid, carangid, sciaenid and scombrid larvae more abundant in surface waters at platforms, and synodontid, bregmacerotid, gobiid and bothid larvae more abundant in deeper waters. Oil and gas platforms likely impact larval and juvenile fish populations, particularly considering their proliferation in the Gulf (i.e., over 4000 platforms). The results from this study provide valuable baseline information for future research investigating how platforms impact the life history stages of fish populations.     

Dense water characteristics in the northern Adriatic in the 1967–2000 interval with respect to surface fluxes and Po river discharge rates

Winter thermohaline properties of the northern Adriatic are analysed here with the aim of getting a better insight into dense water formation on the shelf. The hydrographic parameters collected in February in the 1967–2000 interval at two stations, the first located close to the eastern shore (station 1), and the second positioned near the Po river mouth (station 2), are compared. Two types of winter hydrographic conditions are distinguished: type A when bottom salinity and density are higher at station 1 than at station 2 and type B when these parameters are higher at station 2 than at station 1. Type A is more likely to occur in warmer and type B in colder winters. Both A and B distribution types can occur in periods when the Adriatic is under the influence of very saline waters of Mediterranean origin. Interannual changes in density are, at both stations, more dependant on haline than on thermal variations. At both stations temperature was somewhat higher in the early seventies than during the eighties and nineties, while salinity and density were lower in the early seventies and early nineties than in other years of the analysed period. By comparing the 1967–2000 changes in hydrographic conditions in February to monthly values of northern Adriatic surface fluxes and Po river discharge rates, it is shown that winter thermohaline characteristics in the region depend on processes which occur much earlier, i.e. during the previous autumn and late in spring of the preceding year, and even during the previous winter, 12 months before.     

Seasonal and ontogenetic changes in the diet of blenny Hypleurochilus fissicornis: An estuarine mariculture as a model of the reef environment

The Blenniidae family is characterised by small cryptic fish. Due to the small size of these specimens, the sampling is very difficult and information about the ecological role of these fishes is vague. However, mariculture adds reef encrusting organisms that attract blennies, which makes sampling easier. Furthermore, recognising species feeding is critical to understand biological communities. In this study, we evaluated the diet of blenny Hypleurochilus fissicornis in a mariculture, to clarify its influence on the benthic fauna and its interactions with the reef environment. We evaluated the seasonal variation (four seasons chosen by the abiotic variables) and the ontogenic changes (three classes defined by L₅₀ of the species: juvenile, transition and adult) in the diet. Hydrozoans were the main prey, but H. fissicornis fed on a variety of other benthic organisms, exhibiting opportunistic habits. The diet of H. fissicornis was complemented by Amphipods in autumn, Ostracods in winter, and bivalves in summer. Juveniles fed more on Ostracods than the other classes, while the transition class fed mainly on Hydrozoans and a variety of rare items, and adults consumed almost exclusively Hydrozoans and some Cirripedia. Therefore, we conclude that H. fissicornis is an opportunistic feeder and may influence benthic organisms. The establishment of fouling organisms on the mariculture structures allows the use of this area by the blenny, since they promote its feeding base.     

A year in the physical oceanography of the Chukchi Sea: Moored measurements from autumn 1990–1991

Year-long time-series of temperature, salinity and velocity from 12 locations throughout the Chukchi Sea from September 1990 to October 1991 document physical transformations and significant seasonal changes in the throughflow from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean for one year. In most of the Chukchi, the flow field responds rapidly to the local wind, with high spatial coherence over the basin scale—effectively the ocean takes on the lengthscales of the wind forcing. Although weekly transport variability is very large (ca. -2 to ), the mean flow is northwards, opposed by the mean wind (which is southward), but presumably forced by a sea-level slope between the Pacific and the Arctic, which these data suggest may have significant variability on long (order a year) timescales. The high flow variability yields a significant range of residence times for waters in the Chukchi (i.e. one to six months for half the transit) with the larger values applicable in winter.Temperature and salinity (TS) records show a strong annual cycle of freezing, salinization, freshening and warming, with sizable interannual variability. The largest seasonal variability is seen in the east, where warm, fresh waters escape from the buoyant, coastally trapped Alaskan Coastal Current into the interior Chukchi. In the west, the seasonally present Siberian Coastal Current provides a source of cold, fresh waters and a flow field less linked to the local wind. Cold, dense polynya waters are observed near Cape Lisburne and occasional upwelling events bring lower Arctic Ocean halocline waters to the head of Barrow Canyon. For about half the year, at least at depth, the entire Chukchi is condensed into a small region of TS-space at the freezing temperature, suggesting ventilation occurs to near-bottom, driven by cooling and brine rejection in autumn/winter and by storm-mixing all year.In 1990–1991, the ca. 0.8 Sv annual mean inflow through Bering Strait exits the Chukchi in four outflows—via Long Strait, Herald Valley, the Central Channel, and Barrow Canyon—each outflow being comparable (order 0.1–0.3 Sv) and showing significant changes in volume and water properties (and hence equilibrium depth in the Arctic Ocean) throughout the year. The clearest seasonal cycle in properties and flow is in Herald Valley, where the outflow is only weakly related to the local wind. In this one year, the outflows ventilate above and below (but not in) the Arctic halocline mode of 33.1 psu. A volumetric comparison with Bering Strait indicates significant cooling during transit through the Chukchi, but remarkably little change in salinity, at least in the denser waters. This suggests that, with the exception of (in this year small) polynya events, the salinity cycle in the Chukchi can be considered as being set by the input through Bering Strait and thus, since density is dominated by salinity at these temperatures, Bering Strait salinities are a reasonable predictor of ventilation of the Arctic Ocean.     

Foraging ecology and movement patterns of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the California Current System

From 2002 to 2010, the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) has been regularly encountered in large numbers throughout the California Current System (CCS). This species, usually found in subtropical waters, could affect coastal pelagic ecosystems and fisheries as both predator and prey. Neither the abundance of jumbo squid nor the optimal ocean conditions in which they flourish are well known. To understand better the potential impacts of this species on both commercial fisheries and on food-web structure we collected nearly 900 specimens from waters of the CCS, covering over 20° of latitude, over a range of depths and seasons. We used demographic information (size, sex, and maturity state) and analyzed stomach contents using morphological and molecular methods to best understand the foraging ecology of this species in different habitats of the CCS. Squid were found to consume a broad array of prey. Prey in offshore waters generally reflected the forage base reported in previous studies (mainly mesopelagic fishes and squids), whereas in more coastal waters (shelf, shelf break and slope habitats) squid foraged on a much broader mix that included substantial numbers of coastal pelagic fishes (Pacific herring and northern anchovy, as well as osmerids and salmonids in northern waters) and groundfish (Pacific hake, several species of rockfish and flatfish). We propose a seasonal movement pattern, based on size and maturity distributions along with qualitative patterns of presence or absence, and discuss the relevance of both the movement and distribution of jumbo squid over space and time. We find that jumbo squid are a generalist predator, which feeds primarily on small, pelagic or mesopelagic micronekton but also on larger fishes when they are available. We also conclude that interactions with and potential impacts on ecosystems likely vary over space and time, in response to both seasonal movement patterns and highly variable year-to-year abundance of the squid themselves.