As we enter our fifth week of sampling, we have encountered some wet (and potentially dangerous) weather delaying this week's research trip. As we did last week, we do go out in some rough weather (although I prefer the term "adventurous"), but thunderstorms are another thing altogether. So far we have not caught a single ctenophore, although there are reports of the winter/spring sea gooseberry Pleurobrachia pileus in Peconic Bay, which is to our east. This makes sense since we witnessed a dramatic crash in Mnemiopsis at the end of the sampling season in 2008 due to predation by a third ctenophore Beroe ovata. With fewer ctenophores surviving in the bay, it is likely that the seasonal bloom will occur later this year than usual, although the term "usual" is something of a misnomer since Mnemiopsis seems to bloom two to three months earlier in recent years than in previous studies conducted 20 years ago. The waters now are teaming with copepods, a good food source for ctenophores and other gelatinous predators. We have been catching our fair share of the "lion's mane" jellyfish Cyanea capillata, which interestingly enough, also eats Mnemiopsis, and some small hydromedusae. The lack of Mnemiopsis is good news for now, since it gives us time to prepare for the busy experimental season ahead (once they appear). So stay tuned for new updates and photos...
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