Zooplankton ecology in the Chesapeake Bay estuarine turbidity maximum, with emphasis on the calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis

TL;DRAbstract

The estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) region of Chesapeake Bay, located near the limit of saltwater intrusion, is characterized by high total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations, high light attenuation, and high densities of zooplankton. Due to high light attenuation, primary production is generally low in ETMs, yet the Chesapeake Bay ETM region is often considered a 'hot spot' of zooplankton abundance within the Bay. The omnivorous copepod <em>Eurytemora affinis</em> is especially prevalent in the ETMs of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and in ETM regions worldwide. In order to determine the factors influencing 1) zooplankton distribution and abundance in the Chesapeake Bay ETM, 2) <em>E. affinis</em> reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay and Choptank River ETMs, and 3) zooplankton position maintenance, cruises in the Chesapeake Bay and Choptank River ETMs were conducted in 1996 and 2001-2003. Laboratory experiments examining the egg production cycle of <em>E. affinis</em> were also

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