Description: Within the framework of the JGOFS Pilot Study in 1989 mesozooplankton (0.2–20 mm) was sampled by means of a Hydro-Bios multinet in five depth strata (0–25, 25–50, 50–100, 100–200, 200–500 m) during four Lagrangian drift experiments of 8–14 days' duration at 18, 33, 46 and 58°N, to follow the seasonal progress of the phytoplankton spring bloom development in the northeast Atlantic. Mesozooplankton standing stock, measured as dry weight and ash-free dry weight, increased by a factor of about 6 from 18 to 58°N. Day/night differences amounted to 10–20% of the average and were—with one exception at 18°N—not statistically significant. Using the data on weight-specific respiration rates measured by colleagues on the same cruise, the ingestion rates and potential community grazing of mesozooplankton on phytoplankton within the upper 100 m of the water column were calculated. During all four drift experiments, quasi-steady-state conditions were observed in phyto- and zooplankton standing stock, primary production and daily sedimentation at 100 m depth. The maximum potential grazing rate by mesozooplankton accounted for about half of the daily primary production. Since sedimentation of fresh phytoplankton was negligible, it is concluded that the grazing pressure exercised by mesozooplankton together with micro- and nanozooplankton was responsible for keeping the phytoplankton standing stock at a more or less constant level during the investigated spring bloom in the four areas. Particle flux was thus dominated by zooplankton faecal material.

Description: The marine microcopepod family Oncaeidae in the Red Sea has been the subject of comprehensive ecological studies over the past 15 years, providing for the first time insights into their community structure, vertical distribution and feeding ecology. Owing to taxonomic problems in species identification, however, many of the earlier ecological results were based on provisionally named species or morphotypes. A recent, ongoing taxonomic study of Red Sea Oncaeidae resulted in a considerable increase in the estimated numbers of species, since many of the species had not been described before. The present paper focuses on the potential significance of an improved taxonomic resolution of oncaeids with respect to various ecological aspects in this area, such as indicator species, community analysis and vertical distribution. The progress in our knowledge of the diversity of Red Sea Oncaeidae is summarized, including latest findings on the taxonomy and zoogeography of very small species (〈0.5 mm), and the importance of sibling species in the family is pointed out. The south–north gradient in species diversity of Oncaeidae within the Red Sea appears to be greater than previously assumed, since several of the newly described species were restricted to the southern part. The number of endemic species among Red Sea oncaeids is very low, however, most of the new species being also recorded outside the Red Sea. New quantitative data on the abundance and vertical distribution of selected oncaeid siblings obtained during a recent cruise in the northern Red Sea are provided to exemplify the changes in the knowledge of oncaeid community structure attributable to the improved taxonomic resolution. The potential ecological importance of a more differentiated consideration of oncaeid species in marine microcopepod communities is discussed