Recent increases in gelatinous zooplankton in
a number of ecosystems in the North Pacific and elsewhere have demonstrated
the importance of these organisms in energy transfer in coastal
and oceanic environments. Gelatinous zooplankton exhibit rapid individual
and population growth rates and have been shown to be major consumers
of phytoplankton, zooplankton and early life stages of fishes. They
are competitors with adult fishes and serve as conduits of energy
transfer to the deep ocean. Despite their importance to the ecosystem,
there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of basic life history,
ecology, and environmental responses, even for many of the dominant
species. This session will bring together information on such diverse
gelatinous taxa as cnidarians, ctenophores, siphonophores, salps
and appendicularians, and examine their role in marine ecosystems
and their responses to variable environmental conditions.