COPEPOD CARCASSES IN THE OCEAN .1. OVER SEAMOUNTS

Higher abundances of copepods with external damage or in various state s of internal decay have been found in shallow waters over banks, ridg es and seamounts than in the surrounding waters. The increase occurred in 3 of 5 sets of multiple opening-closing net tows taken at Fieberli ng Guyot, Northeast Bank and Sixtymile Bank, west of San Diego, Califo rnia, USA. Large numbers of copepod carcasses were also found above th e summit of Jasper Seamount. The carcasses are attributed to higher le vels of predation over shallow topographic features due to resident or ganisms that ascend above the summits at night to feed. At Fieberling Guyot (summit depth of about 500 m), this migration was at least 400 m above the summit. Carcasses identical to those collected in the net t ows were produced in the laboratory by euphausiids feeding on copepods .