Authors

Nicholas AC Tucker, Jeremy J Kiszka, Lance P Garrison, Kevin M Boswell

This study examined how environmental conditions influence the distribution of zooplankton and nekton in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico using acoustic surveys conducted from 2018–2019. Hierarchical generalized additive models were used to evaluate relationships between salinity, depth, bathymetric structure, and diel cycles across four pelagic groups: cephalopods, zooplankton, micronekton, and macronekton. Each group responded differently to environmental variability, revealing distinct spatial and vertical distribution patterns. Zooplankton and micronekton were concentrated near surface waters and showed strong diel migration behavior, while larger nekton were more associated with deeper habitats. The study highlights strong trophic connectivity between pelagic and benthic systems and emphasizes how environmental gradients shape ecosystem dynamics, food-web structure, and energy transfer in the Gulf of Mexico. These findings provide important baseline information for ecosystem-based management and for understanding how climate-driven oceanographic change may alter marine communities in the future.

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