Global Comparisons of Zooplankton Time Series

Identify and consolidate a globally representative set of “long zooplankton time series”.

Facilitate migration of individual data sets to a permanent and secure electronic archive.

Develop and share protocols for within-region and within-time period data summarization (e.g., spatial, seasonal and annual averaging, summation within taxonomic and age categories).

Based on the above, develop priorities and recommendations for future monitoring efforts and for more detailed re-analysis of existing sample archives.

Carry out a global comparison of zooplankton time series using (in parallel) a diverse suite of numerical methods, examining

1. Synchronies in timing of major fluctuations, of whatever form.
2. Correlation structure (scale and spatial pattern) for particular modes of zooplankton variability (e.g. changes in total biomass, replacement of crustacean by gelatinous taxa, alongshore or cross-shore displacements of zoogeographic distribution boundaries).
3. Amplitude of variability, both for total biomass and for individual taxa, and comparison to the amplitude of population fluctuations of predator species (fishes, seabirds, marine mammals). Is there amplification at higher levels of the food web?
4. Likely causal mechanisms and consequences for the zooplankton variability, based on spatial and temporal coherence with environmental and fishery time series.
5. Sensitivity and specificity of data-analysis tools.

7-10 November 2005 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

4-7 December 2006 in Lima, Peru

26 May 2007 in Hiroshima, Japan

May 2008 in Gijón, Spain