1. Pellet Shape vs. Depth
These charts are from the second deployment and show pellet shape as a function of depth and average carbon value or pellet counts.
The shape of the fecal pellet is indicative of species type. These are the five basic shapes found. Generally, ovoids come from copepods, ellipticals come from copepods or larvaceans, cylindricals come from euphausiids or shrimps, and amorphous from chaetognaths or heteropods.
A 2 way ANOVA showed no significant differences between carbon and shape or depth. A 2 way ANOVA did show significance between pellet counts and shape.
n=3

2. Pellet Color vs. Depth
These charts are from the second deployment and show pellet color as a function of depth and average carbon value or pellet counts.
The color of the fecal pellet is indicative of diet. There were many colors and color combinations found. Typically browns are indicative of a herbivorous diet, light colors, whites and transparents are indicative of repackaging, and reds and oranges are indicative of carnivory.
A 2 way ANOVA showed no significant difference between carbon and color or depth. A 2 way ANOVA did show significance between pellet counts and color.
n=3

3. Broken pellets can indicate fragmentation by zooplankton
Broken pellets can indicate fragmentation by zooplankton. This chart shows the percent of broken pellets counted within each second deployment trap vs. depth. Significant differences were found between the depths using a one-way ANOVA.
n=3

5. Samples were collected with a 1 m2, 335 um mesh MOCNESS at the following depth intervals: 0-50m, m, m, m, m, m, m, m, and m. Plots were constructed from the midpoints of these intervals. Zooplankton were size-fractionated through a series of nested sieves (200um, 500um, 1000um, 2000um, and 5000um) and dried at 60oC to constant weight. A pair of MOCNESS tows was defined as one day tow and one night tow taken within 12h of one another.