| Gelatinous zooplankton are understood to be important components of marine ecosystems, and with recent increases in biomass worldwide, increasingly the focus of intensive study. Research remains confounded by patchiness of the organisms, which is manifested over a range of spatial scales by interaction of swimming behavior with localized hydrographic features which the organisms respond to. This study utilized a towed video profiling system with integrated oceanographic data collection capability to study spatial variability of both organisms and their environment over a range of spatial scales, as well as to study aggregation morphology and size. At scales smaller than ∼54-106m, variability was the most intense, and likely the result of synergistic interaction of organisms with physics. At larger scales, variability was likely passive on the part of the organisms, driven by physics. Analysis of patch morphology and size suggested that active swimming plays a role in maintaining tighter aggregations. |
