TABLE 2 - continued 



Qualitative composition of zooneuston of the Bering and 

 Chukchi Seas in the period 28 July-29 August 1988. 



Brachiura ova, larvae + 



Euphausiacea, larvae + 



Chaetognatha 



Sagitta elegans + 



Tunicata 



Oikopleuni lahradoriensis + 



Fritillciriu horecdis + 



Pisces, ova, larvae + 



+ 

 + 

 + 



+ 

 + 



TABLE 3 



Average abundance (speciniens/ni') of 



organisms in the neuston (0-5 cm) 



and subneuston (5-23 cm) layers 



of the Chukchi and Bering Seas 



in the period of July 28- 



August 29. 1988. 



The hydrozoan Pantaehogon liaeckeli. polychaete larvae, and 

 nauplii of Eiiccdamis hitngii were encountered only in the 

 neuston layer. 



As in the summer of 1984. copepods dominated in the 

 neuston layer making up 93'7f of total abundance. In density of 

 organisms in the neuston layer, this area leads among others 

 investigated in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. 



In South Polygon, the hydrozoans Aglantha digiiale, larvae 

 of bivalves, ophiurians, eggs, copepodites and adult 

 Pseudocalaims ininutus. eggs of decapoda, and tunicates of 

 Oikopleura and Fritillaria were found in the sample. 



TABLE 4 



Abundance of organisms (specimens/m') 



in the neuston and subneuston layers 



in the Polygon East of the Bering 



Sea July 28-31, 1988. 



Station 

 Number 



2 

 3 

 4 



5 

 Average 



V. copepodites of Calamis plumchnis. W-Calanus glacialis 

 and. Evadne nordnuinni of Cladocera and also juvenile Lepas 

 show complete adherence to the neuston layer. 



Thirty-three percent more organisms prevail in the neuston 

 layer (Table 5). Average abundance in the region was 

 6,749 specimens/m', which is 1.6 times greater than in the 

 summer of 1984. In comparison to other marine aquatories at 

 that time, this region was characterized by high abundance 

 indices. In 1988, according to quantitative characteristics, it 

 ranks third after East Polygon and Chirikov Gulf. 



As copepods were the dominating group up to 80%, with 

 hyperiids ( 1 7.6%) ranking second. The rotatorian Synchaeta. 



186 



