openings were each 71 cm in diameter and the 

 net open area ratio was no less than 5.0 (Tranter 

 and Smith 1968). A 100 kg weight was secured to 

 the end of the hydrowire. TSK flowmeters', 

 modified to display flow counts digitally, were 

 mounted inside both net rings. The frame was 

 deployed with one 202 [xm Nitex mesh and one 

 505 |xm mesh net, each with rigid cod ends hav- 

 ing apertures of the same mesh size. 



The VERB frame was lowered at a speed of 

 40-50 m min ' to 200 m and retrieved at 60 m 

 min ^ Each net filtered approximately 80 m^ 

 of water, minimizing clogging of the finer mesh 

 net. Rapid deployment and recovery, combined 

 with maneuvering the research vessel, served to 

 minimize deviation of the hydrowire angle from 

 the vertical. Wire angles were recorded at least 

 four times during ascent. 



Preliminary VERB net trials were carried out 

 on cruise Verbl (11-12 September 1986; see 

 Figure 2). VERB deployments were then made 



'Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 



on four CalCOFI cruises, designated 8609 (21-29 

 September 1986; iV = 28 stations), 8611 (15-24 

 November 1986; A^ = 26), 8703 (5-14 March 1987; 

 TV = 27), and 8705 (3-12 May 1987; N = 30). The 

 primary stations sampled were along two hnes 

 orthogonal to the coastline (lines 80 and 90); 

 additional stations occupied the nearshore seg- 

 ment of lines 83 and 87 (Fig. 2). Time constraints 

 precluded taking VERB samples at all CalCOFI 

 stations. 



Zooplankton samples were preserved in 10% 

 formalin buffered with sodium borate. In the 

 laboratory, the sample obtained with the 202 ixm 

 net was washed through a 505 |xm mesh nested 

 inside a 75 (xm mesh, yielding a fraction between 

 202 |xm and 505 jjim ("mesozooplankton") and one 

 greater than 505 jim ("macrozooplankton"). The 

 sum of these two fractions is referred to as 

 "total" net zooplankton, although it quite clearly 

 omits the microzooplankton that are certain to 

 be of considerable significance (Beers et al. 1980; 

 Fenchel 1988). Biomass of zooplankton samples 

 was determined first by measuring displacement 

 volume (Ahlstrom and Thrailkill 1963), then by 



35' 



30' 



1 r 



125° 



120° 



115° 



1 r 



10° 



VERB 

 Station Positions 



a L 



35°N 



30° 



I20°W 



110° 



Figure 2. — Stations occupied in the southern sector of the California Current. Position of cruise VERBl is noted, as well as the 

 VERB zooplankton stations sampled on 4 CalCOFI cruises. Note that all indicated stations could not be sampled on every cruise. 



968 



