PECULIARITIES OF ZOOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION IN THE OKHOTSK-SEA AND PACIFIC-OCEAN OF KURILE-ISLANDS IN THE SUMMER 1992 AND 1993

Plankton of the north-western coast of Sakhalin is mainly presented by neritic complex. Biomass over the shelf was not so great (400 mg/m(3) ) and did not differ essentially from the biomass on the slope station s (in the layer 0 - 200 m). Proportion of nanophages and predators has decreased, and proportion of euryphages has increased offshore. Ocean ic species (Calanus glacialis, Neocalanus plumchrus s.l., N. cristatus and Eucalanus bungii) equally with neritic ones dominated off the Kam chatka coast. Zooplankton biomass was higher than off the Sakhalin coa st - in average 670 mg/m(3) over the shelf and 450 mg/m(3) over the sl ope. The relation between neritic groups on the offshore section was t he same. Biomass in the upper 0 - 200 m layer in the central part of t he sea, where oceanic species dominated, has been in average 580 mg/m( 3). The portion of nanophages and predators - were not great but the p ortion of euryphages was great because old copepodites and adults of N . plumchrus and copepodites of N. cristatus and E. bungii dominated in the area. Biomass on the shelf of the Pacific Ocean off Kurile Island s was less (190 mg/m(3)) than in the layer 0 - 200 m on the slope (425 mg/m(3)) and deepwater (330 mg/m(3)) stations. The portion of nanopha ges over the shelf in this area was maximal (24%) because small copepo dites of Pseudocalanus minutus, Acartia longiremis and Metridia pacifi ca were dominated. The relation between trophic groups from the slope and deepwater station was nearly the same.