MONTEGO DISCOVERY BAY 

 BAY 



50m 



WFR , "W 

 Crest 



Figure l.--Map of Discovery Bay, Jamaica, and adjacent fore reef showing the 

 three sites sampled in this study. EFR = East Fore Reef; WFR = West Fore 

 Reef. 



development of realistic models of reef energetics and an understanding of the 

 behavioral and feeding strategies of many reef organisms. 



This study was undertaken to examine patterns of abundance and distribution 

 among reef zooplankton at three depths on a Caribbean reef. In this study, 

 reef zooplankton are those zooplankton [holoplanktonic, meroplanktonic, and 

 demersal forms (Robichaux, et al . , 1981)] which reside for some period in or 

 near the reef substratum and at some time migrate at least 1 m into the water 

 column. Most planktivory by the sessile reef community should be upon this 

 group of zooplankton during their vertical migration. Zooplankton were collected 

 with emergence traps in a collection program designed to answer the following 

 questions about the quantity and predictability of zooplankton available as a 

 potential food source for reef organisms: (1) What quantity of zooplankton is 

 available to the reef community, especially to sessile reef-dwelling organisms? 

 (2) How variable is the amount of zooplankton on different nights? (3) Do reef 

 sites at different depths differ in a predictable way with respect to abundance 

 of zooplankton? (4) Do reef sites at different depths differ in species 

 composition of zooplankton? (5) Is there any predictable cycling of zooplankton 

 abundance? 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



A total of 392 zooplankton samples were collected over 29 new and full 

 moon nights during 1976-77 using a modified version (Ohlhorst, 1980, 1982) of 

 the demersal trap described by Porter and Porter (1977). Traps were placed 

 prior to sunset, and collection bottles were removed the following morning. 



102 



