Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events

Abstract Pelagic organisms inhabiting coastal upwelling regions face a high risk of advection away from the nearshore productive habitat, potentially leading to mortality. We explored how animals remain in a productive yet highly advective environment in the Northern California Current System using...

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Main Authors: Mei Sato, Kelly J. Benoit‐Bird
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105387
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author Mei Sato
Kelly J. Benoit‐Bird
author_facet Mei Sato
Kelly J. Benoit‐Bird
author_sort Mei Sato
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Pelagic organisms inhabiting coastal upwelling regions face a high risk of advection away from the nearshore productive habitat, potentially leading to mortality. We explored how animals remain in a productive yet highly advective environment in the Northern California Current System using the cabled observatory system located off the Oregon coast. Acoustic scatterers consistent with swimbladder‐bearing fish were only present during the downwelling season as these animals avoided the cold waters associated with strong upwelling conditions in summer and fall. Fish responded to short‐term upwelling events by increasing the frequency of diel vertical migration. Throughout the study, their vertical positions corresponded to the depth of minimum cross‐shelf transport, providing a mechanism for retention. The observed behavioral response highlights the importance of studying ecological processes at short timescales and the abilities of pelagic organisms to control their horizontal distributions through fine‐tuned diel vertical migration in response to upwelling.
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spelling doaj-art-1cd3adafcb944a478ec12b92836798b92025-08-20T02:11:09ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-01-01512n/an/a10.1029/2023GL105387Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling EventsMei Sato0Kelly J. Benoit‐Bird1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA USAMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Moss Landing CA USAAbstract Pelagic organisms inhabiting coastal upwelling regions face a high risk of advection away from the nearshore productive habitat, potentially leading to mortality. We explored how animals remain in a productive yet highly advective environment in the Northern California Current System using the cabled observatory system located off the Oregon coast. Acoustic scatterers consistent with swimbladder‐bearing fish were only present during the downwelling season as these animals avoided the cold waters associated with strong upwelling conditions in summer and fall. Fish responded to short‐term upwelling events by increasing the frequency of diel vertical migration. Throughout the study, their vertical positions corresponded to the depth of minimum cross‐shelf transport, providing a mechanism for retention. The observed behavioral response highlights the importance of studying ecological processes at short timescales and the abilities of pelagic organisms to control their horizontal distributions through fine‐tuned diel vertical migration in response to upwelling.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105387diel vertical migrationupwellingacousticsbiological‐physical interactions
spellingShingle Mei Sato
Kelly J. Benoit‐Bird
Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
Geophysical Research Letters
diel vertical migration
upwelling
acoustics
biological‐physical interactions
title Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
title_full Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
title_fullStr Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
title_full_unstemmed Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
title_short Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events
title_sort diel vertical migrators respond to short term upwelling events
topic diel vertical migration
upwelling
acoustics
biological‐physical interactions
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105387
work_keys_str_mv AT meisato dielverticalmigratorsrespondtoshorttermupwellingevents
AT kellyjbenoitbird dielverticalmigratorsrespondtoshorttermupwellingevents