Variation in mesozooplankton community structure in the Japan/East Sea (1991–1999) with possible influence of the ENSO scale climatic variability

Seasonal and interannual change in mesozooplankton community structure in the offshore Tsushima Current area of the Japan/East Sea was studied in relation to climatic events and temporal variability of the upper water column environment from 1991 to 1999. We observed a clear seasonal succession in zooplankton community structure from a cold-water copepod-dominated community in winter and spring to a gelatinous, carnivorous and warm-water copepod-dominated community in summer and autumn. The mean abundance (inds. m⁻³) of the spring community was 3–4-fold higher than that of the other season. The spring community structure varied considerably between years: the community characterized by the summer–autumn type zooplankton assemblage appeared in 1991–1993 and 1998, while the community characterized by high abundance of cold-water copepods appeared in the mid 1990s. Time series profiles of water density and nutrients showed the thickness of the surface warm Tsushima Current and the cold subsurface water increased and decreased, respectively, limiting nutrient supply to the surface water in 1992 and 1998. These results suggest that a thick, warm surface layer might reduce the reproductive success and survival ratio of the cold-water copepods both directly and indirectly, by hindering their upward migration to the surface where food is available, and by limiting phytoplankton growth due to nutrient depletion, respectively. A Monsoon Index (MOI) showed weaker winter wind stress in 1992 and 1998, which might have attenuated formation of the cold subsurface layer in the northern Japan/East Sea and been responsible for surface warming of the study area. Since 1992 and 1998 were El Niño years, this study revealed that ENSO related climatic variability on an interannual time scale considerably influenced the lower trophic level ecosystem in the Japan/East Sea.