Patterns of abundance for Mnemiopsis in US coastal waters: a comparative overview

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Abstract
An examination of plankton and environmental data for several coastal systems in the United States indicates that high biomasses of Mnemiopsis spp. are associated with warm waters and an abundance of prey copepods such as Acartia tonsa. Field data from several locations suggest that temperature, food availability, and predators may all be vital determining the observed patterns of ctenophore abundance. Although currently there is insufficient quantitative to make definitive conclusions about the control of ctenophore population dynamics in any of these systems, a comparison of patterns of abundance implies there may be latitudinal gradient in the relative importance of temperature and food availability. In the north, where annual temperature cycles are likely to have greatest influence, there is a relatively short, but intense, population explosion of M. leidyi in the late summer and early fall. In the warmer southern waters, the occurrence of M. mecradyi seems to be closely linked to prey availability, and ctenophore biomass is generally lower. Predation may be of fundamental importance to the patterns of abundance for the two species of Mnemiopsis throughout their ranges, but presently is poorly documented in most systems.

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