Publication Date:
2016-05-25
Description:
Plankton records from three ATLANTIS II cruise
tracks near the west African coast reveal a deep penetration
of northern forms into tropical waters. They
are carried there by the clockwise movement of the
North Atlantic Gyre and are found mixed with subtropical
and tropical forms.
In light of these plankton records, and previous
ones from other parts of the Gyre, a view of North Atlantic
faunal parcelling is given. The traditional three-fold parcelling (northern, subtropical and tropical) is
recognizable. However, gyral circulation tends to generate
a rotary pattern of distribution with abundant
faunal mixing. The subtropical fauna occupies the core
of the Gyre and mixed faunal associations occur around
the margins. The northern and tropical faunas contribute
to these mixed faunal associations along clockwise
dispersal routes.
Type:
Article
,
PeerReviewed
Format:
text
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